Zerodimension Neptunia
by ShinKir0
Summary: Lelouch wakes up in a strange world greeted by the faces of Nepgear,IF and Compa as they are about to set off on their journey to rescue the CPUs. They tell him that they rescued him from the Gamindustri Graveyard along Nepgear. He has no memory of who or what he is and without a clear goal in mind he decides to join them on their journey with hope that he can discover who he is.
1. Awakening

**Hi guys, so a quick notice before we begin. This is my first story and I apologize if it has a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, but please bare with me. The story is set in Re;birth2 and I plan to make it through Re;birth3 but that's a long term goal. Anyway now that this stuff is out of the way let's begin!**

Chapter 1: Awakening

Darkness, everything was darkness for the unconscious boy. Pure nothing, just like his mind. Just as his thoughts drifted away into the void of the darkness for the countless time, voices started to ring in his head, bringing him to attention for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"How is he?" a serious girl's voice could be heard.

"Well I think he is fine, since I didn't find any injuries on him and he is breathing." Replied a giggly voice.

"Goodness, what do you think happened to him?" a nervous voice asked.

"Quiet everyone, he seems to be waking up." a stern female voice scolded.

The darkness started to clear from the boy's eyes as he opened them and saw four girls staring at him, while he lay on a bed in a pinkish room. One was with long brown hair and leaf clip in it, her eyes being green, wearing a blue trench coat, which was clearly not her size. Another was a light orange haired girl with same color eyes, wearing a sweater of the same color and a red skirt. The third one was with long light purple hair with a D-pad clip on the left side of her hair and purple eyes, wearing a white and blue sailor uniform with pink stripes. The final one was the most bizarre of the bunch as she was a small blond girl with deep blue eyes, who had pixie like wings and she was floating on a tome.

The boy was dumbfounded by the sight and his lack of any memory of who or what he was and what was he doing to end up here. When he tried to think about it, it felt like there was nothing where there was supposed to be something, the headache he got from trying to remembering didn't help either.

"Who are you people? Also, could you tell me where I am?" said the boy, with an apparent look of puzzlement and concern on his face, as he lifted himself up to sit upright on the bed.

"Easy there. Let's start off with the basics. I'm IF." Said the brown haired girl, as she began to introduce herself and her companions. "This is Compa, she took care of you while you were out." She said, as she pointed to the girl with the sweater, who waved at the boy and smiled. "This here is the CPU candidate of the nation Planeptune- Nepgear." The pink haired girl stepped up, interested in the unfolding situation, a curious expression placed on her face. "And this is the oracle of said nation- Histoire." The girl called IF pointed to the blond pixie like girl, who was staring at the boy with wide eyes in shock for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, so that no one could notice it.

"With introductions out of the way, who are you and what were you doing lying in the Gamindustry Graveyard?" said IF with a serious expression, narrowing her eyes at the boy and crossing her arms.

"I-i don't know." Stuttered the boy. "I have no memory of any events in my life prior to waking up here. I don't even know anything about this world. The only thing that I seem to recall is a name- Lelouch. What is that, is that supposed to be my name?" said the boy as a headache took over him.

"You have amnesia?!" exclaimed Nepgear.

"Maybe he was beaten up by that giant guitar wielding robot that we rescued you from Ge-Ge." Compa said, trying to guess what had happened to him.

"Perhaps, but for now we will have to keep him under surveillance and figure out what to do with him." Replied IF.

The boy was still in a state between shock and fear, when Histoire came up to him and placed her small arm on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Seeing as the name Lelouch is the only thing you can remember, I suggest you stick with it for now, until we figure out the rest." Said Histoire with a smile to the boy, who became confused.

"What do you mean 'we'? Why would you help a stranger like me?" asked Lelouch, now curious at the kindness of the girls before him.

"We don't need a reason to help a person in need, but I have to ask, seeing as you are in no shape to be a fighter how did you survive in that place, if you have any memory that is." Said IF to Lelouch, puzzled at the peculiarity of his state.

And she had a point. Lelouch was tall, but didn't have any considerable muscle to him. He had jet black hair and violet eyes. As for his clothes, he was wearing a black shirt with grey linings and black jeans.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what the place which you are talking about is." Apologized the boy, as he stood up from the bed and continued. "Well, since you said that you would help me with my memory problem, it would only be proper etiquette that I repay your kindness with some type of service on my end, no?" asked the raven haired boy.

"I'm very flattered by your wish to be of use, but seeing as you know nothing of this world I suppose you are in need of an explanation about everything that is happening in the world right now." Replied Histoire with a smile towards the boy.

After the lecture about Gamindustry, the CPUs, the four nations and the current rampage of ASIC, Lelouch had a general idea of how the world around him worked. He was then told about their plan to defeat ASIC and decided that for now he would tag along with Nepgear, Compa and IF to help them rid the world of the criminal organization and rescue the CPUs. After that, they went to the guild in order to do some quests. After accepting a quest to exterminate some doggoos, they traveled to Virtua Forest. It was your typical forest, grass planes, trees and bushes, the usual deal.

"So I get that you want to help and all, but do you think that you can take these things on?" IF asked Lelouch.

"Of course I can. From what I've heard they are nothing but jelly's that hop around." Said the boy as he readied the pistol that he got from the weapons shop alongside a lightweight longsword, which was sheathed on his waist. He had also stopped in a clothing store. He had bought himself a grey shirt, a black leather jacket, new jeans and a pair of black lace up boots. If he had some muscle, you could mistake him for some badass swordsman.

"There they are!" yelled Compa, pointing at the pack of doggoos.

"Alright here we go." Said Nepgear, a beam blade appearing in her hands, as she started slicing the doggoos.

IF followed suite with her twin qatars, while Compa started stabbing the poor things with a giant syringe and Lelouch began to shoot the doggoos with his pistol. The battle didn't last long, as the doggoos were quickly dealt with.

"I've got to say for a scrawny guy you have some good aim." IF complimented Lelouch.

"You were really impressive Lu-Lu." Said Compa with a beaming smile on her face.

"Lu-Lu?" asked the boy in confusion.

"Yeah that's your cute nickname, since it's very hard for me to pronounce your name." answered Compa, still with a smile.

"You guys were of real help, I don't know If I could've handled them on my own." Said Nepgear with a nervous expression.

"Hey that's what friends are for Gear." Replied IF.

"Friends, huh?" muttered Lelouch, so that he wouldn't be heard as he was still unsure of somethings.

Then out of nowhere, appeared a king doggoo apparently angry at the fate that had befallen his brethren. At the sight of it, the group readied themselves.

"Things got a little more challenging now." Said IF. "Gear transform and show it who's boss."

"R-right!" replied the girl nervously. As she tried to access HDD, she announced "I can't, I'm too scared to use i!" Said the pink haired girl, as tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"What?! What's the matter with you?" IF exclaimed, surprised.

"Iffy you're being mean to Ge-Ge." Compa scolded her.

Lelouch looked at the unfolding situation and, as if by natural reaction, he quickly thought of a way to resolve the current problem.

"Nepgear, I need you to listen to me." the raven haired boy said.

"W-wha?" the CPU candidate stared at him, as she was trying to get a hold of herself.

"Look, you can't just allow something that happened to you to put you down and keep you from what you are. What I mean to say is get up and stand and if you don't do it for yourself then at least think about the people who need you and those that you care about. You aren't going to allow yourself to let them down, are you!?" Lelouch told her with a stern, but assuring voice, a strange feeling of familiarity welling up inside him.

The girl was in shock for a moment from his statement, but then mustered the courage to reply back. "No I'm not going to let anyone down!" Nepgear said, as she stood up ready to fight the doggo alongside her companions.

"Good, now let's get this over with." Lelouch said, as he readied his gun.

The boy then shot at the huge doggoo, followed by a series of slices from IF and a stab from Compa's syringe. Nepgear then took up her blade and shouted:

"Mirage Dance!" as she sliced through the doggoo and it turned to pixels disappearing from sight.

"Great job, Ge-Ge." Compa congratulated the young CPU candidate.

"Yes, it was an excellent performance." Stated Lelouch.

Nepgear started to blush from the praise that she received, but then IF interrupted.

"Ok that was good work for today. Let's turn in the quest and head back to the Basillicom."

During their walk home the group was conversing on what had happened.

"Thank you for your inspirational words back then, Lelouch." Thanked Nepgear, a slight blush showing up on her face.

"Think nothing of it. I just don't like the fact that you are beating yourself over something that isn't your fault." Corrected her Lelouch.

"Still, you sounded like someone scolding his younger sibling." Compa said with a thinking expression, which was kind of off-place on the girl.

"Yeah, you may look gloomy and act cold, but you actually care about people, don't you." IF teased him, lightly elbowing him in the shoulder, for which she received an annoyed look from the boy.

Lelouch ignored the statements of the two girls and continued walking, at which his three companions started giggling.

After arriving back, they were greeted by Histoire, who looked like she had some news.

"Perfect timing everyone. I was able locate the Planeptune Mascot." Said the oracle.

"Wow, really?" Compa asked in surprise.

"Yes. You will find it in the depths of Virtua Forest. It seems the mascot is hibernating there." Answered Histoire.

"We're finally taking action again. Let's roll you guys!" Said IF, taking charge.

"….." Nepgear was looking nervous, which didn't go unnoticed by the new member of their group.

"Are you ok? You look a little pale." Said Lelouch.

"Huh? I'm okay, really." Replied Nepgear.

"Well then, let us depart." Continued Lelouch, aware that Nepgear was still troubled.

The Group soon arrived at the location they were given.

"I see something over there. That must be it." Said IF, pointing far ahead.

"Huh, there seems to be someone already there." Added Compa, noticing a strangely dressed person, who was trying to break something, to be standing where they were headed.

"What the goodness!? Please stop!" shouted Nepgear.

The person turned to them, revealing herself to be a grey skinned girl with short green hair and red eyes, wearing a hooded jacket that looked like a mouse. The fact she was with a metal bat didn't help her image. She looked quite annoyed when she saw the group of four arriving.

"Huh? Who the hell are you guys? You'd better stay outta my way." Snapped the girl at them.

"Likewise, Missy! What are you doing to the Mascot!?" Replied Compa, entering antagonizing mode.

"Uh, destroying it, duh. Orders from ASIC. They are a nuisance." Said the hooded girl.

"You're a member of ASIC?" IF asked in disbelief.

"That was somewhat of a shocker." Lelouch added with obvious sarcasm.

"Hey! Normally I'd have no reason to explain myself, but I'll tell you just how awesome I am. I am a proud and mighty member of ASIC's front line infantry. The name's Linda. You better remember it!" Stated Linda with a smirk on her face.

"So you're just an underling." Lelouch said, unimpressed.

Linda started to become something between shocked of realization of her status and angry at the group before her.

"Definitely an underling." Added Nepgear.

"Miss Underling is an underling." Compa said as well.

"What!? Where the hell do you get off calling me an underling, huh!?" Replied the agitated girl.

"Underling is the only name you need. Now out of our way, Underling." Said IF.

"Now you've really pissed me off! You'll regret calling me that!" Underling shouted, as she started to attack the group with her bat.

Nepgear, IF and Compa received a blow from the attack, while Lelouch desperately dodged out of the enraged bat-swinging girl's way.

"How is she so strong?" Lelouch asked with a surprised voice and expression.

"Maybe it's because ASIC has a lot of shares." Replied the beaten up IF.

"Hah, for all the bark you idiots did, you have no bite. Now then, it's time I kill you off one by one. Starting with… hmm." Underling said, as she looked at Nepgear, who was terrified. "I'll start with you, brat."

Lelouch had no time to reach for his gun, as the ASIC member had already swung at Nepgear. Luckily, IF jumped in the way, saving Nepgear from a serious blow, but received it instead, which left Lelouch and Compa speechless.

"Alright, I made it just in the nick of time." IF said, as she fell down next to Nepgear.

The two started to have an emotional talk about who's to blame but Lelouch didn't have time for that, so he started firing at Underling. The bullets didn't seem to harm her much and rather irritated her, which surprised him.

"Hey you! Did no one ever teach you that it is cowardly to shoot people in the back!" Underling growled at him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't play by the rules when my opponent is a scum terrorist." Lelouch stated with a cold voice and a disgusted look on his face, although he clearly knew that his attacks weren't doing much more than further agitating the girl.

He then received a clean blow from the bat and rolled on the ground in pain.

"Looks like you ain't as tough as you are good looking." Linda remarked with a grin on her face.

Lelouch was still recovering, when he suddenly saw a light flash around Nepgear, as he also started to receive a headache from the light, then there stood Nepgear, her hair having turned pink, in a white and purple skintight suit complete with bits of armor and wings floating around it.

"This is HDD, now prepare yourself!" She said to Underling, as she dodged one of her strikes and sent her flying with a hit from her gun blade. "I'll spare your life if you leave this place." Purple Sister declared to Underling.

"What are you, stupid? I have a job to do." Replied Underling, taking a swing with her bat at the Mascot.

"No, wait!" shouted Nepgear.

"Why would I listen to you?" Replied Underling and thrashed the Mascot.

"Oh no, the Mascot!" Gasped Compa.

"Haha! All done here. Next stop, Lastation's Mascot." Declared Linda, as she ran off.

"Don't you run away! Ah, jeez, she's too fast for her own good." Voiced IF, as the pain from the previous blow had started to die down and she managed to get up.

Lelouch finally managed to pick himself up, with the headache now somewhat gone, and went towards the girls. Compa tried to help him, but he waved her off, signaling he was ok.

"Oh no…. the Mascot…." Nepgear said, saddened, as she slumped down on her knees before the shards of the disc.

"Worry not, CPU Candidate." Said a mysterious voice

"Huh? A voice? But from where?" Purple Sister asked, as she and her companions started to look around.

"I am this nation's Mascot. How unexpected to have my body destroyed while I was sleeping…" said the broken purple disc.

"So you are ok, even though your body is in pieces." Nepgear asked in confusion.

"Well 'Okay' is not exactly true, but I was able to separate some of my power from my body. Here. I will grant what power I have left to you." Said the energy from the disc, as Nepgear absorbed it.

"Goodness…. So this is the power of a nation's Mascot?" the girl replied, as she could feel the boost in energy.

"CPU Candidate, I know not what has happened while I was asleep, but I know you will use my power for a just cause." Stated the Mascot, her presence disappearing afterwards.

"Wow, and just like that the Mascot vanished completely. Man, that was a close call." Said IF, letting out a breath she had been holding for a while.

"Yes. But we managed all thanks to you, IF, and to Lelouch's distraction." Replied Nepgear, happily.

Lelouch didn't really bother to reply to the praise he had received, as he was thinking of how odd those Mascot discs were. He was then called back to Earth with Compa tugging on his sleeve.

"Um, are you Ok? You look like something's bothering you." Compa asked, concerned for the boy.

"Huh? Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." Replied Lelouch.

"You sure do make a scary face when you are thinking." IF said to the raven haired boy, who dismissed her comment.

"Let's hurry back and report this to Histoire." Said Nepgear.

After they returned to the Basiliscom they went to inform Histoire of the events that had transpired. The oracle patiently listened to what they had to say, and when they were finished, her features formed a worried scowl.

"It is good news that you have been able to secure the power of Planeptune's Mascot, however…" Said Histoire.

"We now know that ASIC is aware of the Mascots." Continued IF.

"Miss Underling said that she was headed to Lastation next." Added Compa.

"We should chase after her, before she gets ahead of us." Nepgear stated, feeling reinvigorated from the previous battle, which brought joy to the oracle.

"I can see that Nepgear's passion has been relit." Histoire smiled, glad that the CPU Candidate was no longer pulled back by her fears and doubts.

"Yes, I should be fine now." the CPU Candidate replied with a nod.

"Excellent, I suggest you hurry over to Lastation next. Oh, before you go, I should inform you that both Lastation and Lowee have CPU Candidates as well, so it would be a good idea to seek their aide for your journey." Finished Histoire.

"CPU Candidates…. Girls like me…." Nepgear voiced her thoughts.

"Each nation has its own situation to deal with, so they may refuse at first, but making contact is vital." Histoire explained. "After all, I'm certain they share your desire to save their older sisters."

"Sounds like a plan, let's get to Lastation." IF finished the conversation, when Lelouch suddenly spoke.

"You three can go ahead without me, there are a few things I'd like to look into before I join you in Lastation." Announced Lelouch.

"Ok suit yourself, but if you find yourself in need of directions you can contact the Lastation Basilicom." IF told the boy, as the trio of girls went off for their new destination.

When they were left alone, Histoire decided to speak with the dark haired boy, interested to learn what had caught his interest.

"May I ask what it is that has gotten you interested in the situation?" Histoire asked the boy, after the girls left.

"Well to be honest, your situation seems quite dire and I believe that you could use a helping hand." Lelouch said, as he crossed his arms. "While my main motive is to gain some insight on who I am and what was I doing before I woke up here, I also despise the idea that terrorists are getting their way and I'd like to see that justice is done." Explained Lelouch. "Those girls will have their work cut out for them I'm sure. I will help them however I can, but that doesn't mean that I will constantly be taking a beating for them." Added the boy.

"Well it is your decision to make. I wish you good luck on your venture." Said Histoire with a somewhat saddened expression at the boy's declaration. _I'm so sorry, Lelouch. I know it's wrong of me, but I hope that your past doesn't come back to you._ Thought the oracle as she bid farewell to the young man, who was on his way, tears starting to form in her eyes. _Please don't remember that nightmare._

* * *

 **So a quick note after Chapter 1. I'm really excited for this story, i intend to be very frequent with the new chapters but i'm not giving any promises that i can not surely keep. Reviews are welcome if you want to take your time. I would also like to work on the pairings because with the general idea i have of the story i don't really see Lelouch getting into until Re;Birth3 so i'm open to suggestions, but i do not promise to include them in the story. Anyway thank you for taking the time to read and have a nice day.**


	2. Peril in Lastation

**Ok so this is the 2** **nd** **chapter to my story and here we will see a little more Lelouch centered action. I decided to give his powers some edgy names :), so be prepared. I do intend to keep the Geass, but it will appear very later in the story, as to not give him an aunfair advantage right from the beginning. Now with that out of the way, please enjoy.  
**

Chapter 2: Peril in Lastation

Having left Planeptune, Lelouch had one thing on his mind, at the moment he needed to track down that ASIC girl and end her streak of thrashing the Mascots. That said Lelouch was impressed with the technology of Lastation and thought it a good idea to get himself familiar with the rules of this nation. But before that he had some unfinished business.

He had asked around town for a girl with the appearance of Underling, of course concealing the fact that she was with ASIC because he would lose the people's trust. He eventually received information that the girl was seen heading to Rebeat Resort.

After finally finding his way towards that place Lelouch was angry as he thought he might have already missed her, but he then saw the trio of girls he had left with a new face among them. The person in question was a girl that looked to be Nepgear's age, had black hair styled in twin tails, with the rest of it flowing down her head, with red eyes and a black outfit. He pondered if he should join them, as they most likely had the same objective as him, but decided to wait things out.

Lelouch then saw his target being intercepted by the group of girls. They engaged in a fight and he stood on the sides hidden and took note of what was happening. The boy was surprised when the black haired girl transformed alongside Nepgear as he then received a headache which gladly for him soon blew off. Lelouch then pieced together in his mind that the other girl was probably the CPU Candidate of Lastation. Following her quick defeat Underling took a run for it. Lelouch sprung after her from the sides to avoid being seen. On his way he saw the girls having an argument as the black haired girl threw a fit and ditched the others.

After Underling stopped running at a safe distance from her encounter with the CPU Candidates she took a while to catch her breath. Lelouch did the same as he was almost dead from all that running. Then from nowhere appeared a grey rat which started to talk with the girl.

"Seriously you're useless. You got beaten up by some kids, Chu." Snapped the rat at her.

"Hey, shut up. If you think it's easy fighting them why don't you do it next time, huh!" Underling shouted back.

As the two bickered Lelouch thought to himself "What a bunch of idiots. I can't believe a terrorist organization has such trash as its members.". He then stepped out of the shadows revealing himself before the two idiots who noticed his presence.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?! How did you manage to find us?!" Asked Underling with shock clearly written on her face.

"Who the hell is this guy, Chu?" the rat added his own question.

"He is a friend of one of the CPUs." Said Underling when a grin formed on her face. "But he ain't a threat to us, he is weak as hell." Started to laugh Underling.

"I do believe I've left the wrong impression of myself on you." Stated Lelouch with a cold voice and a devilish smile forming on his face.

"What is it chump, you want to join ASIC or something, Chu?" asked the rat.

"No, do not confuse yourself. I meant the fact that you think me for some fool who doesn't know how to work around the situation before him." Continued Lelouch.

"What, you can take us down? Don't make me laugh, last time you were on the ground after one hit." Snapped back Underling.

Lelouch smiled as he raised his gun and said "Dark Barrage Blast." Then he fired a volley of reddish purple energy bullets which exploded into dark energy as they hit their targets. This was due to the fact that on his way to and after arriving in Lastation, Lelouch was thinking about what Histoire had told him about how powers worked. He emphasized his thoughts on the part **"Your powers are the same as your being, so in short you only need to concentrate on yourself when using them."** and so far he was pleased with the results.

"The hell?!" said Underling as she was standing up from the attack. "So you can use magic huh, big deal! You clearly only use that pistol so what's the point in carrying that sword around on your waist. Please don't tell me it's just for intimidation purposes." Grinned Underling as she antagonized the boy.

"You see I'm not a fan of close quarters combat so I don't really use it. However, another reason is that I haven't really learned any non-lethal sword magic." Lelouch's smile grew even further as he drew the blade from its sheath.

He then spoke the words "Void Rupture." As he slashed in the direction of the two ASIC members, moments after cuts started appearing everywhere in that direction with Underling and the rat taking a considerable portion of the invisible slashes that appeared around them, despite the fact that Lelouch had only swung the blade once.

"Who or what the hell are you?!" asked Underling in fear.

"He isn't as weak as you made him out to be chump. I say we ditch this guy and scram, Chu." The rat told his companion.

"You two aren't going anywhere until I get some answers!" Ordered Lelouch.

"Screw, you. Let's get out of here before he decides to kill us." Said Underling as she threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb and she and the rat disappeared from Lelouch's sight.

Angry at his miscalculation Lelouch headed back to the city. Along the way he thought that at best he only slowed those two down from destroying the Mascot of Lastation. He decided that the proper course of action would be to get in touch with the Oracle of this nation and get some information from her.

Upon entering the Basilicom he requested an audience with the oracle. Soon after that he was invited in an office where stood a grey haired girl wearing a black business suit with a blue tie. She glanced at him and asked curiously:

"Welcome, my name is Kei Jinguji oracle of this nation. Who may you be?" she asked with a demeanor which emphasized on strict work ethics.

Lelouch took note of the girls personality and stated:

"My name is Lelouch. I have come here from Planeptune in aid of its CPU Candidate, though I suspect you already knew that much."

"I'm impressed with the fact that you caught on to the fact that our information gathering was already inspecting you, unlike the other three." Said the girl sitting on her chair behind her desk. "Have a seat."

Sitting on a chair across her he saw that she was trying to get a read on him, looking through his movements and speech. Lelouch did the same, however and he already knew what type of person he was standing before.

"I suppose you are here to get in touch with the others whereabouts." Asked Kei.

"Indeed." Replied Lelouch.

"I've sent them to do me a favor, in exchange they earn my trust. They wished information from me so we made a deal." Said the oracle. "Seeing, you are here means that you have no intention of helping them with the task."

"Yes, I believe I can do something better than to play servant." Said Lelouch making the oracle raise an eyebrow in interest.

"I'm listening to your offer." She stated.

"I had intercepted the two criminals that intend to break your nation's Mascot before coming here. Having postponed its destruction for at least a few hours I decided to turn to you. My options are the following: 1- you tell the others the location of your Mascot when they get back or 2- you send in security to ensure its safety." Stated Lelouch noticing the interest in the information that his companion had who then spoke.

"Surely you aren't giving such valuable information for free. What is it that you hope to acquire from this?" Kei asked in suspicion.

"Nothing personal in particular, only that justice is served to those who stomp over the innocent." Replied the boy with a serious expression.

"I see." Said Kei. "Then I invite you to spend the rest of the time waiting for your friends here."

"Thank you, I will take you up on that offer." Responded Lelouch exiting the office.

"That guy is a whole different story. He isn't as easy to fool as the rest and on top of that he is either good at reading between the lines or a very good actor. Perhaps both." Kei thought to herself after Lelouch had left her office.

As Lelouch entered the lobby to get a rest until the others returned he saw the CPU Candidate of Lastation to head off to somewhere. "Wherever is she headed off to in such a hurry? Oh well it doesn't concern me." Thought Lelouch as he fell asleep on one of the couches.

Sometime later he woke up, because there was some noise in the room. He opened his eyes and saw the girls return alongside the CPU Candidate of Lastation and a short girl with red hair.

"Hey look you guys, its Lu-Lu!" stated Compa with a smile pointing at the boy in question.

"So this is where you were. What have you been doing that was more important than helping us find the stuff the lousy weasel of an oracle sent us to find?" Asked IF.

Before he could answer he was cut off by the black haired girl.

"Nepgear who is this person?" she asked.

"That's Lelouch. He is a friend who helped us back at Planeptune." Said Nepgear.

"How dare you, demon! To wait sleeping for such cute wifeys to come to you. I will not allow you to have any of them!" raged the red haired girl.

Lelouch became really annoyed at her comments when the black haired girl came up to him.

"I'm Uni the CPU Candidate of this nation. It's nice to meet you." Said Uni.

"Likewise, young miss." Lelouch said as he slightly bowed his head at which the red haired girl started to boil.

"This is Red." Said Nepgear. "She helped us defeat that Underling lady and the monsters with her."

Lelouch looked at the little red haired girl who looked like she was ready to sucker punch him. He gave her a quick stare of rejection of her existence which she didn't take kindly to.

"Who do you think you are to act so high and mighty, huh!" said Red as she was starting to get really agitated.

Lelouch looked back to IF.

"As for your question earlier, I saw your going around for some items to be a pain so I decided to skip it." Said Lelouch after which he received a stare from the girls.

"You said that you encountered that ASIC grunt again, that must mean that we still have some time before she gets to the Mascot." Lelouch continued.

"You know Lelouch, Underling was pretty mad when she met us. She was complaining how one of us had nearly gotten her and her partner killed." Said IF. "I assume I'm right in guessing that you were the culprit." raising her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes, you are. Although they managed to pull a fast one as you have clearly seen, otherwise I would have handed them over to the police already." Said Lelouch. **"After i had gotten the information i needed that is."** he thought to himself.

"Lu-Lu it's not good to go and do things by yourself. You could've gotten yourself hurt." Scolded him Compa.

"Please stop calling me that." Lelouch tried to protest but to no avail.

Then Kei entered the room and saw that everyone was there.

"We meet again. It would seem that you even have the materials that I requested." Said Kei.

"You were watching us, huh." Said IF with a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she gave Kei the items in question.

"Miss Kei, could you please tell us the location of the Mascot? It's been so long and we are running out of time." Asked Nepgear.

"It doesn't really matter if we take a few more moments. The situation won't change tremendously." Replied the oracle.

"First I'd like to hear what happened three years ago in the Gamindustri Graveyard." Continued Kei.

"Oh… right…" said Nepgear with a saddened expression.

After an explanation of the events that have transpired Kei gave her conclusion.

"I see, so that's what happened. Well the fact that Noire is still alive is a weight off my shoulders." Said Kei.

"If you were that worried you could have been a little more cooperative." Replied IF.

"Oh, but me and your friend over there had a good business conversation on things and have already sorted everything out." Said the oracle as she looked at Lelouch.

IF and the others gave Lelouch a surprised look as if to indicate that they didn't expect him to be so smart, which got on his nerves but decided to shrug it off.

"Anyway, with the items that you have provided my plan can come into fruition. Also here." She handed Nepgear the last known whereabouts of the Mascot. "I've fulfilled my end of the deal."

"Thank you very much. Now we can finally…." Said Nepgear as she was cut off by Kei.

"But let me warn you of something. Your request to the Mascot will more than likely be denied outright." Said the oracle.

"What does that mean?" asked the confused Red.

"You'll find out soon enough. I wish you luck with your next negotiation." Said Kei as she then turned to Lelouch. "I don't really know who you are, although clear to me that you have some skill in matters that involve more brain than force, but even if you try to step up to the Mascot your negotiations will probably be denied."

"We won't know till it happens, now will we." Said Lelouch as if trying to provoke a reaction from the oracle.

She walked past him with a shrug at his statement.

"Hey, Nepgear." Uni pulled Nepgear to the side and started whispering to her. "I don't know who this friend of yours is, but he really is something else. Even my sister can't hold her ground when arguing with Kei and he is doing it like he has gained possession of entire cities through dealing alone." Uni said with surprise at the mysterious boy.

"Well none of us know anything about him either, in fact he appears to have lost his memory." Whispered Nepgear. "The only thing he does remember is the name Lelouch so we figured it was his name."

"Wow, solid ground for deductions." Uni said in disappointment.

"Ok, people let's move out." Said IF as the group headed towards the location of the Mascot.

* * *

 **Yeah, so far so good. I'm really glad that i'm making progress with this story. So i have a few things i'd like to sort out. The only other character from Code Geass i intend to bring in is C.C, but as a memory of sort- reference to Lelouch's memory loss. Also i intend to give Lelouch a completely new background not tied to the world of Code Geass, so it's gonna be something like the past of Gamindustri. Ok enough insight of whats going on in my head for now. Again thanks for taking your time to read and have a nice day.**


	3. The Mascots and their purpose

**Hello again everyone. First I'd like to point out that I'm very happy that this story provides entertainment to you the readers. Having said that I'll try my best to deliver on my end. If you feel like that the Chapters are rushed or lack in something please inform me so that I can take measures. Now then on with the story.**

Chapter 3: The Mascots and their purpose

The group appeared at their destination. They began their search for the Mascot. Nepgear then pointed to a place similar to the one where they found the Mascot of Planeptune. They went over and found the Mascot as it recognized some of the people now standing before it.

"Hmm… What business do the CPU Candidates of Planeptune and Lastation have with me?" asked the glowing disc.

"Um, hello. We need your assistance and we would like you to come with us to rescue the CPUs." Fired off Nepgear in a polite manner.

"Hmm, I see. I thought something was wrong given that I was sensing some unusual phenomenon, but hearing that all the CPUs are being held captive is a shock…" replied the Mascot.

"However, if your statement is true then I cannot possibly accompany you." Added the Mascot.

"I would like to inquire on why have you made your decision without giving us a chance to argue our case." Lelouch spoke, before any of the girls began to whine about the disc's decision.

"My sole purpose is to protect this nation during the CPUs absence. Leaving now would cause the nation to lose any and all divine protection yet remaining. This is unallowable as it is our sole purpose in existence, after being created from the original goddess's power." Stated the Mascot after which Lelouch received a headache once more, only this time it was worse as he dropped to one knee on the ground holding his head.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Asked IF startled by the boy's sudden reaction.

"Goodness, are you ok?" said Nepgear as the girls gathered around him.

"He looks bad. I don't understand. Did he hit his head without telling us?" Asked Compa baffled at the boy's case.

The pain then subsided and Lelouch was able to get a hold of himself once more as he stood up.

"What happened Lu-Lu? Is your head hurt? Or are feeling unwell?" started to ask him Compa.

"I'm fine, it's just a random headache I get from time to time. I'm unsure why it happens, but this time it was worse than the others." Replied Lelouch as he steadied his breathing.

"I'll check you when we get back, ok?" said the nurse in training.

Suddenly from the distance a squeaky voice was heard.

"Compa, my lovely angel, Chu!" said a rodent running towards the girl.

"Huh? Its Mister Mouse!" said Compa surprised at the sudden appearance.

"You… remember me? That makes me so happy, Chu!" as he said that all flustered he then saw the Mascot.

"Oh yeah! This is great now I get to beat up that stupid Mascot alongside my angel Compa." Stated the rat.

"Huh? Beat it up? Why would you say that?" Said Compa as she started to back away from the rodent.

"Because he is with ASIC." Growled Lelouch through gritted teeth as he was now back to his usual self.

"Eek! The psycho, chu!" said the mouse scared.

The girls quickly turned their attention towards the rat.

"Bad Mister Mouse! I hate people who do bad stuff to Gamindustry." Scolded him Compa.

"Y-you hate me?! Boo- hoo- hoo- chu!" the rodent started crying and throwing a fit.

"Wow look at it go." Remarked Red.

"My tender heart is shattering to pieces, chu… All my love will go to my job, then… That said I'm gonna get rid of you all in the name of ASIC, chu!" finished the rat.

"So much for that drama. Come on Gear let's take out the trash." Said IF.

"What the?! When did an enemy appear?" Asked Nepgear in shock.

"You know you are really slow sometimes. C'mon we are about to fight." Remarked Uni at Nepgear who was clearly not paying attention to what was going on.

"Now then let us continue from where we left off thrash!" Said Lelouch as this time he directly took out his sword.

"What the?! You're going to fight?!" asked IF in confusion.

Lelouch gave her a smile in reply and slashed towards the mouse.

"Void Rupture!" said the boy as the mouse was sent flying from the slashes that started appearing in his direction.

The girls were surprised at the boy's capability of battle prowess, but quickly returned their attention to the rat which was up again.

"I'm not going down as easy as last time, chu!" Said the rodent as he went up to Lelouch, who tried to parry the mouse but was sent to the ground.

"Haha, take that sucker!" Laughed the mouse.

His gloating was quickly ended when Nepgear and Uni appeared in front of him in their HDD states. They made quick work of the mouse as Nepgear slashed him with her gun blade and Uni blasted him with her riffle.

"Oof… I lose in the game of love, I fail at my job… This is the worst day of my life, chu!" said the rodent as he fled the scene.

Having taken care of their problem the two girls transformed back to their normal states and Lelouch had gotten himself off the ground dusting his clothes off.

"So that was one of the dangers looming over Gamindustri?!" suddenly spoke the Mascot.

"Yeah, and now that stupid rat knows your location." Said IF.

"So it would seem. Perhaps it would be wise of me to go into hiding for the time being." Said the Mascot.

"If that's what you're planning, why don't you come with us? We can keep you safe and hidden." Stated Nepgear.

"I have already said that such a request cannot be granted, however I am capable of giving you a portion of my power, while my physical form remains here. Accept my power…" said the Mascot as some of its energy flowed into Nepgear.

"Huh?! Goodness!?" Said Nepgear in shock as she felt the boost in strength.

"Though I can offer little I ask that you help the CPUs and all of Gamindustri." Said the Mascot.

"Thank you. We'll make sure to save everyone!" promised Nepgear.

"Well, our work here is done. We should head back." Said Lelouch, who left off without waiting for confirmation from his companions.

"Hey, wait up!" Shouted IF followed by the others trying to catch up to the raven haired boy.

As they caught up with the boy, they started asking him questions.

"For a stick you can wield a sword." Joked IF.

"Hey! I take offense to that. I may not be a jacked up bag of muscles, but I do pride myself in being smarter than your average guy." Responded Lelouch.

"No questions about that, though I was surprised by the fact that you were capable of magic of such level." Said Uni with curiosity written on her face.

"What is it with you people and my ability to fight?! Do I really look that pathetic in your eyes!? If so I hope you reevaluate your judgement of character." Said Lelouch clearly annoyed at the girls.

They laughed his self- defense off. He wasn't really satisfied with that but decided to let it go. Instead he raised a topic he was interested in.

"So what was that squabble which you two had?" He asked looking at Nepgear and Uni.

"How did you know we had an argument!?" asked Uni in shock.

Lelouch then explained his course of action after he had arrived in Lastation. After finishing he received a sigh from IF, a disappointed look from Nepgear, Uni grinding her teeth in embarrassment and anger, Compa trying her best not to look disappointed as well and Red was cursing at him for being a coward and not helping wifeys in need.

"Well? I'm waiting for the answer of my question." Said Lelouch looking expectantly at the two CPU Candidates.

"I THREW A FIT OK! I WAS MAD THAT NEPGEAR HAD RETURNED AND NOT MY SISTER! I APOLOGISED AFTERWARDS! THERE, ARE YOU HAPPY, YOU JERK!" Shouted Uni and looked angrily, with tears starting to form in her eyes, at Lelouch who didn't really care for the outburst of the girl beside him and continued walking.

The boy thought for a few moments on how to deal with the situation before any of the others decided to interfere and potentially worsen it.

"I apologize for my rude question. I didn't realize that it was on a sensible matter. But still I feel like I should give you some advice on how to handle certain situations." He turned to Uni. "No matter how hard life tries to kick you or stomp you into the ground remember this: It's not you who is wrong, it's the world around you. What I mean is that when something is causing you to falter you should work towards moving on. So once again I say this: I'm sorry." Lelouch finished his speech with a slight bow of his head towards the now calmed down girl.

"I am the one who should be sorry for screaming at you when you just asked a normal question." Said Uni in shame at her own impulsiveness.

She then received a pat on the head from Lelouch who had a smile on his face.

"Don't worry I don't take things personally." Said Lelouch as he finished running his fingers through the girl's hair.

"Uni, I'm so glad that you could make friends with Lelouch." Said Nepgear happily.

"Huh?! We aren't f-f-friends?! At least not yet." Said the blushing black haired girl as she turned to the boy. "Would you like to… um… be friends?"

"Sure, I don't see a reason why not." Replied Lelouch with a smile towards the girl, who became really happy at his statement.

Both Nepgear and Uni continued to talk about stuff with Red jumping around the place, when IF and Compa started to talk to Lelouch.

"You are a kind person Lu-Lu." Said Compa to him with a smile.

"Yeah, even though you act like you don't care about others you are actually very compassionate." Added IF.

"Not really." Was the only reply they received from the boy as the group continued to walk towards the Basiilicom.

After they arrived they went to report what happened to Kei.

"I see. I am surprised to hear that such a stubborn Mascot agreed to lend you some of its power." Said Kei after hearing what they had to say.

"Our next step is to visit Lowee." Said Nepgear.

IF was trying to get some sly remarks in, apparently still mad about the way that Kei had treated them, while Nepgear and the other girls discussed their plan of action. Lelouch on the other hand had no interest in their matters and had seated himself at a considerable distance away from the noisy bunch reading a book he had gotten from a store on their way back.

"You are welcome to spend the rest of the day here before you travel to Lowee, for the services you have done." Said Kei.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but right now we really don't have the time. We should head out as soon as possible." Replied Nepgear.

"About that Nepgear. I won't be coming with you, for now at least." Said Uni. **"I'll only be a burden to them the way I am now."** She thought to herself.

"Oh, ok. *Sniff*" started crying Nepgear.

"H-hey, why are you crying?" asked Uni flustered from the situation.

"Because, we became good friends and now we are going our separate ways. *Sniff*" continued to cry Nepgear.

"Hang on! You're talking like we'll never see each other again!" Uni steadied herself.

"Huh… so you wanna hang out later?" asked Nepgear in relief.

"W-well maybe if I feel like it or maybe I'll… think about it ok. Maybe." Stated Uni blushing a little.

Honestly their parting words of friendship were a little too much for Lelouch as he moved even further away from them. Kei then came up to him.

"You are quite the character. I can see that you enjoy being in the center of attention." Joked the oracle.

Lelouch raised his eyes from the book and gave her an unamused look, as she left him to his own deeds.

"Ge-Ge, we should get going." Said Compa.

"Although necessary I do apologize for keeping you here for so long. Best of luck on your travels." Said Kei.

"Stop it you creep me out when you say anything remotely selfless." IF continued to be salty.

"I wish you luck because of the difficulties I foresee with Lowee's CPU Candidates." Added Kei.

"Huh? Plural?" asked Nepgear confused as they began to leave.

"You'll find out what I mean." Finished Kei as she sent them off.

"Are you coming or what?" Asked IF Lelouch who closed his book and set off with his companions to Lowee.

"Bye and good luck." Waved at them Uni as they went off.

* * *

 **Whew, another chapter gone by. So right now I'd like to sort out somethings that will probably get me hated. I don't plan on getting Lelouch in a couple with any of the Candidates as they are a little too young for my tastes :) (pls don't kill me), maybe something like adopted siblings relationship at best. I hope that i was able to bring out his character more in this chapter because i found the previous two lacking in that department. Also about my posting schedule: I will try to keep updates daily but sometimes there may be 2 to 4 days without any action on my side (when i'm not posting it is safe for you to assume that i'm either being lazy or i have simply been buried beneath work that i neglect :D). Anyway as always reviews and comments are welcome as i will try my best to answer any questions that you might have. With that i bid you a good day.**


	4. Arrival at Lowee

**Hello guys. Sorry for the late update. It took me a while to finish this as it was hard for me to decide a good end point. Now then please enjoy.**

Chapter 4: Arrival at Lowee

The group arrived in the snowy nation as they began to understand that they didn't really prepare themselves for the terrain. Well at least a certain boy did.

"*Achoo*" sneezed Lelouch as he was hugging himself in order to retain whatever heat there was left in his body as the jacket he had didn't really help him.

"Can we go somewhere warm, please?" asked the boy with hope that his plead will be answered this time.

"You're a man, aren't you? Then start acting like one and stop whining." Replied IF who was getting annoyed at his constant groaning.

"Look on the bright side, Lelouch. The scenery really is breathtaking." Said Nepgear as she was walking around like a tourist in a vacation, looking at the scenery and what not.

"The scenery will become even more breathtaking, if could gaze at it from a window of a warm cafe or shop." Said Lelouch still being cold.

"Iffy, Lu-Lu's right. It's really cold out here. We should all buy some warm clothes to keep ourselves nice and warm!" stated Compa as she was shaking alongside Lelouch.

"Only if we have the time. Now let's go gather info, pronto." Said IF rejecting her friend's idea.

"I agree. To the guild, then?" asked Nepgear.

"No, straight to the basilicom. I haven't heard anything bad about the oracle here so we will be fine." Replied IF.

"Then let's get there as soon as we can!" said Lelouch who sped up his pace as he would prefer anywhere but out in the cold.

As soon as he did so the group took notice of a commotion happening close to them. They weren't really impressed when they saw Underling trying to promote ASIC by promising people random stuff for free.

"*Sigh* Why the hell do I have to do sales work? That's for low class grunts, passing out flyers and crap…" Started to complain Underling. "I wouldn't have gotten stuck doing this if it weren't for those stupid brats."

"Um, excuse me. Are we the brats you are talking about?" asked Compa as Underling continued to ramble.

"Yeah the dumb blonde, the transforming baby, the snob, the psycho and the 'wifey' musclehead." Said Underling still lost in her own world of complaints.

"A snob, huh. Didn't know that having proper manners came across that way." Said IF.

"*Sigh* Transforming baby? Do I really look that little?" asked Nepgear in disappointment.

"You have a lot of nerve to insult someone without even looking at them in the face." Said Lelouch, now his anger keeping him warm for the moment.

"Hey! Don't go hatin just because you're not on my hit list." Said Red offended.

"Uh-huh… H-hey! It's you all! What the hell when did you get here!? How'd you find me?!" asked Underling as she realized the situation she was in.

"We weren't looking for you, but this commotion makes you stand out." Pointed out IF.

"And this time you won't be getting away." Said Lelouch as he began to reach for his pistol.

"You've been a naughty girl, huh? I'm gonna have to punish you!" said Red still angry.

"Damn it. This could get real bad…" said Underling when she saw a little girl wandering around. "Hey, you! Stray kid!"

"Huh?" the little girl turned towards her. She had short brown hair, dark blue eyes and a light blue coat complete with a snow hat of the same color.

"Now, don't you dare make a move or this girl gets it!" said Underling as she took the girl as a hostage and positioned her in front of herself holding on to the child.

Lelouch got irritated at the display as he was already pointing his gun at the ASIC member.

"You coward! Let the kid go!" shouted Nepgear.

"How cliché." Said IF displeased at the situation.

"Shut up! ASIC is all about playing dirty." Said Underling with a smug on her face.

"*Sob, sob* Help, me Ram…!" cried the captive girl.

Lelouch was about to make Underling's head like a swiss cheese, but stopped himself since he didn't want to endager the little girl. As Underling ran with her hostage the group chased after her. Underling went into a back alley thinking that she lost her pursuers.

"*Sob, sob*" continued to cry the little girl.

"Oh come on, shut up already. I should ditch this deadweight kid." Said Underling as she then froze as a gun came in contact with the back of her head.

"*Pant* Let… *Pant* the girl go." Said Lelouch as he was trying to catch his breath from all the running around.

Then the others appeared alongside him.

"You should really work on your stamina." Said IF disappointed in the boy.

Lelouch didn't have enough air at the moment to make a remark, but the moment the little girl started crying again asking for help, he snapped and hit Underling in the head with the back of his pistol as hard as he could. From the sudden shock the girl let go of her captive as she was now holding her head in pain. The little girl ran towards the others as Underling took a swipe at Lelouch with her bat, but missed as the boy rolled out of harm's way.

"Gr! That really hurt! Well then, this will be your opponent for today!" said the ASIC member as a huge Monster appeared before her.

Lelouch backed to the girls as they were about to face off with the monster, when an assertive childish voice spoke.

"Let Rom go, NOW!" demanded another little girl, who had pink hair, blue eyes with power button marks glowing in them and was wearing a skin tight white suit with red linings, as she karate kicked Lelouch who was sent flying to the wall behind him.

Everybody was confused at the situation when the little girl with the short brown hair ran towards the one that had owned Lelouch.

"Ram! *Sob, sob* Raaam!" cried the girl.

"No freaking way!? Another CPU!? On top of that she sent the dude flying like a football!?" Underling stated in shock.

"How dare you make Rom as your hostage and make her cry?!" accused Ram both parties before her.

"Wait you got it all wrong. We were trying to help the girl." Said IF trying to argue their case.

"Is she telling the truth Rom?" asked Ram.

"Yes, the mister you just kicked and his friends were helping me get away from that mean lady." Answered Rom.

The boy in question was out cold lying next to the wall with a little blood flowing from the back of his head with which he had introduced himself to the concrete. Compa went over to help him.

"Oh, ops." Said Ram as she turned to Underling. "Come on Rom activate HDD and let's beat up this jerk back to where she came from!"

"Uh- huh…" replied Rom as she transformed and looked just like Ram only her hair was blue and her eyes red.

"W-what!? Not one but two more CPUs!? This is getting so messed up!" said Underling as she started to slowly back away behind the monster.

"So those must be the CPU Candidates of Lowee." Said Nepgear.

"Nothing's holding us back now. Let's show them who's boss!" Said IF as the girls began to fight the monster.

Each took a turn at attacking it until they finally crushed it. Underling quickly took note of that and flew off before they could turn their attention to her.

"I'll get you next time!" she could be heard screaming in the distance.

"All right! We are the best Rom!" said Ram.

"The bestest!" added Rom.

Lelouch started to come to and was trying to figure out the situation.

"Everyone is all done, it seems." Said Compa as she helped Lelouch stand up.

"Yeah, I noticed." Said Lelouch holding onto the back of his head which was wrapped in bandages.

"Excuse me, but are you two the CPU Candidates of Lowee?" Asked Nepgear.

"Yep, I'm Ram and this is Rom! We're the CPU's awesome twin sisters!" stated the pink haired girl.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Started to nod Rom.

"I'm so happy we ran into each other. I'm CPU Candidate too. My sister is Neptune and…" began Nepgear when the two girls started speaking.

"Neptune? … Uh, she was from…?" asked Ram in confusion.

"Planeptune…" answered Rom.

"Oh right, I know that. That must mean that you are a Planeptune CPU." Said Ram to Nepgear.

"Yes that's right. I'm trying to save all our sisters and …" Nepgear was cut off again.

"That also means that you are our enemy!" accused her Ram.

"Enemy, enemy." Added Rom.

"H-huh, no not at all! Why am i your enemy?" asked Nepgear in confusion.

"You really have a way to antagonize people before you've even met them, Nepgear. I don't know If I should be impressed or disappointed." Said Lelouch from the side as he began to get annoyed at the slow pace at which the conversation was going.

"Do you really think so?" Asked Nepgear depressed at her new-found quality.

Lelouch turned to the two little girls who got somewhat nervous because of his demeanor.

"If you expect an apology for the kick, you aren't getting one. It was your fault for standing there." Said Ram in a childish fashion.

Knowing that logical discussion would not work with a child he decided on a way to resolve the situation. He walked over to the CPU Candidates, knelt as to get on eye level with the two girls and began speaking softly.

"I'm not mad at you for that. You were only trying to protect your sister. It is great that you two share such a deep bond. Before you decide to attack us again would you like to hear me out if I buy you an ice cream?" asked Lelouch with a smile.

The two girls didn't give things much thought as they changed back to normal. Lelouch noted that they were in fact twins as they stood at the same height and looked almost identical for the exception that Ram had longer hair.

"Yay, ice cream." Said Rom.

"Yeah, I guess you're not a bad person after all. Sorry for kicking you." Said Ram with a smile as the two girls started pulling Lelouch over to the ice cream vendor.

The rest of the group was shocked at the display, but followed. Lelouch bought the two girls the ice cream which they picked and they sat down on a bench, enjoying their treat.

"I think they'll listen to you now." He said to Nepgear who was looking at him still wondering at the actions of the boy.

"Well, ok." Replied Nepgear as she turned to the twins. "Anyway, I was about to ask you if…"

The two girls were already done with their ice cream and stood up and dashed off to god knows where waving goodbye to the group.

"Thanks for the ice cream, mister!" shouted Ram.

"Have a nice day." Said Rom.

"And there they go." Said IF.

"Don't get yourself down Ge- Ge, they are just playful children." Compa assured Nepgear who was starting to get depressed from being ignored.

"Well, with that out of the way, I'm going for the nearest clothing shop. You guys can head to the Basilicom without me, I'll catch up with you later." Said Lelouch as he was still cold.

As he was walking off he removed the bandages from his head, at which Compa went histeric.

"Lu- Lu! What do you think you are doing? You are injured you can't just take off the bandages." Said Compa.

"But it doesn't hurt anymore so I figured there's no need for them." Replied Lelouch as Compa got behind him to look at his head where the wound was.

"Huh? I'm sure, you hit yourself somewhere here." Said Compa surprised to find not even a scratch left on the boy's head.

"Its fine, isn't it. If you poke around too much you'll just open up the wound again." Said Lelouch as he separated himself from the girl.

"If you say so. Then we'll be going for the Basilicom." Said IF as the rest of the girls went on their way.

Lelouch went to the nearest clothing shop and purchased suitable wear for the climate. The manager of the story conveniently taught him storage magic so he doesn't have to carry extra luggage with him. Lelouch used said magic to store away his leather jacket and put on his new long dark purple trench coat with a hood. He gave himself another check in the mirror, to make sure he looked presentative as he was in fact going to a Basilicom of a nation. He left the store and began walking towards the building now feeling very satisfied with himself as he was no longer cold.

Upon entering the Basilicom he saw the familiar faces of the girls that had gone ahead of him and a person who appeared to be the oracle of Lowee. Said woman was a light blue haired woman with red glasses and a red scholar dress.

"Oh there you are Lelouch. Come over we were just about to leave for the Mascot." Said IF as she noticed the boy.

When Lelouch got to them he was greeted by the girl who he presumed was the oracle.

"Good evening. I'm Mina Nishizawa oracle of Lowee." Greeted him Mina.

"Good evening, miss Nishizawa. I apologise for my late arrival." Said Lelouch with a slight bow of his head.

"Nonsense. I'm the one who should apologize as I could be of no help to your quest." Apologized Mina. "Still, it would be rude of me to shoo away such well-travelled guests, without giving you something, so…"

"How about a story? Do you know Lowee's lore regarding the Deity of Sin- Arfoire?" continued Mina.

As she said that Lelouch was hit by a headache, though not a severe one as he was able to keep his face from giving away the fact that he was having one.

"I've never heard any stories about it, no." said Nepgear.

"Arfoire is said to have been born in Lowee. Before I continue do you know what the Deity of Sin is?" asked Mina.

"Now that I think about it… No, not really." Replied Nepgear.

"ASIC is trying to revive it, so I figured it was some kind of god that'll grant them power." Said IF.

"No, such a convenient god does not exist in this world. In fact 'deity' is hardly an approapriate description, considering that the CPUs are considered goddesses." As she said the last part Lelouch's headache started to intensify, though not to a degree as severe as the one in Lastation. "The Deity of Sin exists solely to bring destruction and chaos… No mortal can control its power. It is even said that Gamindustri was on the brink of disaster when the Deity of Sin was first born."

As she said that the headache was starting to reach a boiling point and Lelouch as he went over to a couch and sat down holding his head with one hand.

"Are you ok?" asked Nepgear.

"Yes. It's just the headache again." Groaned Lelouch as the pain was starting to subside.

Nepgear turned back to Mina.

"Wow Gamindustri's destruction…" she said baffled.

"So why would ASIC would want to revive a big baddie like that?" asked Red confused.

"Yeah, wouldn't they be hurt too?" Added Compa.

"ASIC doesn't truly wish to revive it. It's a tool used to increase their organization's clout. If they had done proper research on the Deity of Sin they wouldn't spread word among the public." Said Mina

"Typical terrorists." Thought Lelouch.

"Maybe, the lower ranking members of ASIC are being used, too." Said IF.

"If so I question their leader's sanity. This would ultimately lead to their own destruction, as well. I hope this story helped to shed a bit of light on the situation." Said Mina.

"A being that acts as a harbinger of destruction… Arfoire… So that's what ASIC worships." Said Nepgear.

"Wow, I know I'm short but this is going way over my head. What do we do now?" asked Red now even more confused at the situation.

"Nothing's changed. We just have to beat up ASIC, their leader and whatever gets in our way." Stated IF.

"I suppose that's a way of putting it into simple words." Said Lelouch.

"Oh, okay! Much easier to understand." Said Red as she then continued hitting on IF.

Suddenly there was some noise as two little girls entered the room.

"Mina, food!" demanded Ram.

"Hungry…" added Rom.

"Now, now. Mind your manners kids. We have guests right now, so could you please wait a bit longer?" asked them Mina.

"Guests? Oh! It's you guys." Waved at them Ram.

"Hello…" greeted Rom.

"Oh, you know each other?" asked Mina.

"Well actually just before we came here…" said Nepgear as she continued to explain what had happened to the oracle.

"I see. I apologize for their misbehavior." Apologized Mina.

"No, please there's no need to apologize." Started to fret Nepgear.

"No, as their guardian and their educator I must extend my apologies on their behalf." Said Mina as she turned to the twins. "Now what do you say kids?"

"Lame! Why do I gotta apologize to this CPU dummy?" protested Ram.

"Yeah, yeah…" added Rom.

"No, that is not what you are supposed to say, try again." Scolded them Mina.

"They were the ones who started it!" continued Ram.

Mina then asked them with a dangerous smile on her face.

"What, do good little girls say in this situation?" She asked as her eyebrow started to twitch.

The two girls got frightened and dashed off behind Lelouch as he had gotten up from the couch and had walked towards them before that. Lelouch sighed at the situation. It looked like he had to be the mature person to set an example for the kids again.

"Come on, now you have to listen to what your patron is telling you." Lelouch said in a soft voice again. "Besides the CPU miss over there isn't a bad person, you just have to give her a chance."

The two girls, strangely, seemed to trust the older boy as they thought about what, right now their shield from Mina, had said.

"I'm sorry." Apologized Ram.

"Sorry." Added Rom.

With that Mina calmed down and it felt like a tension had left the room.

"Did anyone else feel a scary aura?" asked Compa.

"Please don't worry about it." Said Nepgear to the little girls with a smile as she then turned to Mina. "We actually wanted to ask them for help too."

"As their guardian I must refuse that request. As you can see they're still children." Refused Mina. "However if they do decide to help you as CPU Candidates I might make an exception."

"No! We don't wanna." Said Ram as Rom agreed with her.

"Well, whatever. We came and said what we had to say and got what we came here to get. Let's go guys." Said IF as the group bid the oracle and the two CPU Candidates farewell and got on their way.

Now outside of the Basilicom and walking without any obvious direction, they were discussing a plan of action.

"I didn't expect things to work out anyway, so maybe we should think up a new strategy." Sighed IF.

"Yeah, you do that. I prefer to have solid information when making a plan." Replied Lelouch.

"What do you mean Lu- Lu?" asked Compa.

Before he could answer Nepgear asked for permission to go to a restroom and went off.

"As I was about to say, we will try to gather some more information on the situation here. You three go in that direction and I will go in the other, ask locals about what they know but try to do it without making them suspicious of you." Lelouch gave out the instructions and was on his way.

After a whole day of walking around and asking around for information concerning their journey the group gathered back at the same spot. As they were wondering about a certain missing member, the girl in question appeared.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late!" started apologizing Nepgear.

"Now that's an understatement. How long did you plan to putz around in the bathroom?!" criticized her IF.

"I know. I'm sorry." Said Nepgear.

"Hey, aren't we in a major hurry?" asked Red interrupting the two.

"Yeah, you're right. There's no time to be scolding each other." Said IF.

"Oh? Did something happen?" asked Nepgear curious.

"It would seem that they managed to find some useful info." Said Lelouch who was a bit mad that he didn't manage to acquire anything of use.

"Yeah. We overheard Miss Underling talking on her phone!" said Compa. "She was saying things like 'Mascot' and 'Block Dungeon' and other nifty keywords…"

"So she has gone to the dungeon in question I assume." Guessed Lelouch.

"Now that you guys know let's get moving. We will get there ahead of her!" said IF as she led the group towards the dungeon.

"O-ok!" said Nepgear as she followed the others.

* * *

 **Wow, was this a hard one. I'm hoping it turned out okay, because i feel like there was a lot more going on this chapter and i hope i covered everything accordingly. With that said, a bit of Lelouch's character as a caring person was flowing more to the surface here. Just a heads up, I'm going to try to get the next chapter on time for tomorrow, but i might not make it, we'll see. Anyway thank you as always for reading and enjoying the story. Have a nice day :).**


	5. Problems and their solutions

Chapter 5: Problems and their solutions

As the group was on their way to the dungeon, Nepgear explained to them how she had met up with Rom on her way back and their search for the little girl's pen. The rest of the group was relieved that at least one of Lowee's CPU Candidates no longer considers Nepgear an enemy. They approached the dungeon and Lelouch lay out a plan for them.

"We will proceed like this: All of you will go inside, while I stay out here and ambush the ASIC underling." ordered Lelouch.

"Ok, but try not to overdo yourself." said IF unsure of the boy's plan.

The girls went inside and Lelouch assumed his position and began waiting. After a few minutes he caught sight of Underling as she entered the dungeon and followed after her remaining unnoticed. Things soon got troublesome as a confrontation engaged between the gang and Underling's monster minions. She went for the Mascot while everyone was distracted. Lelouch followed after her.

"You're mine now!" yelled Underling at the Mascot as she took a swing at it with her bat, only for her weapon to fly out of her hands.

"Not so fast." Said Lelouch standing on the side having shot her weapon from her hands.

"You again!? Damn it, don't you have anything better to, like go out on a date with a girl or something, rather than always getting in my way?!" growled Underling.

"The trick of real combat is that everyone is human." Said Lelouch with devilish grin on his face while pointing his gun at the girl. "Now I suggest you back away from the Mascot, before I lose my patience and decide to put an end to your meaningless existence."

Underling started to back away until one of the monsters that had left from the group jumped Lelouch. She immeadiately went for her bat and was about to smash the Mascot. Lelouch quickly dealt with the monster blowing a hole in its head and saw the course of action that his adversary was taking.

"Tachyon Transmigration!" yelled raising his hands towards the Mascot as a shield of red crystal like substance formed around it and bounced off the bat.

"What?!" asked Underling surprise at what had happened clearly written on her face.

"Begone from my sight you filth!" Said Lelouch once again rising his pistol. "Dark Burst!"

The pistol fired off a huge blast of reddish purple energy at Underling, who was sent flying from the blast hitting her straight on. Having taken a considerable amount of damage, a few wounds on her only made it more obvious, Underling got to her feet.

"Grr! You'll regret this!" She yelled in anger as she ran away.

The rest of the girls then arrived, finally finished battling the monsters and joined up with Lelouch and the Mascot.

"You managed to keep the Mascot safe! I'm impressed, but not so much from the fact that you had us run decoy for you while you took all the glory." Said IF.

"Hmph. My plan worked perfectly, didn't it? I really don't see a reason for you to be unpleased with the situation." Replied Lelouch.

As the girls resumed their talk with the Mascot Lelouch decided that he wasn't really interested in negotiating for the same thing a second time. His talk with the Mascot of Lasatation had given him the most severe headache he had to date and he liked to not get another experience of it. He walked to outside of the dungeon and waited for the girls to come out. Soon after the girls arrived.

"So? What happened?" asked Lelouch.

"Well it turned out that the Mascot had made a copy of itself incase its physical body got destroyed. One decided to come with us and the other will stay behind to protect Lowee." Said Nepgear.

"That's rather convenient." Replied the boy.

With that the group went back to the Basilicom to inform the oracle of their progress.

"I'm glad that you were able to acquire the help of the Mascot." Said Mina.

"Yes, so are we. With that we are one step closer to rescuing the CPUs." Said Nepgear.

Then the twins appeared out of nowhere.

"You, the dummy CPU! We will have a match, right now!" demanded Ram.

"Ram, please stop it…" said Rom.

"Huh?!" the whole group replied.

"Yeah and to be somewhat fair we will be four on three, so…" said Ram as she looked at Lelouch. "You will be on our team mister…?"

"Lelouch." Replied the boy somewhat intrigued at the opportunity to face off against his companions.

"Ok, Lelouch my name is Ram and this is my twin sister Rom." Finished Ram.

"Hello Mister Lelouch…" Said Rom with a smile.

"Hold on a sec, you can't just expect us to fight you?!" tried to object IF.

"Why not? Think about it as a good opportunity to get to know each other better." Said Lelouch with the twins nodding at his statement.

"Ok, if you are sure." Said Nepgear.

"Great I finally get to beat up that 'I'm so much better than you' guy." Replied Red with passion in her eyes.

She received a stare from Lelouch, who was starting to see it as a good way to shut up that annoying girl once and for all.

The teams went outside and assumed their positions. Rom and Ram transformed causing Lelouch to get a slight headache, but he ignored it and instead readied his weapons. Their opponents did the same, but Nepgear didn't transform. "She probably wants to hold back on them to not hurt them." Thought Lelouch.

"Well then, ladies first." Said Lelouch.

Rom and Ram dashed towards the rest of the girls hurling them away with ice magic. Lelouch was taking note of the battlefield and was making a plan of action in his head. Then suddenly behind him spoke a voice.

"You aren't invisible, you know." Said IF as she slashed at him with her weapons.

Lelouch dodged and took a swing at her with his sword. She blocked him and after a bit of struggle pushed him back.

"Demonic Inferno!" Said IF as Lelouch was bombarded by flames.

"Tachyon Transmigration!" Said Lelouch as a shield of red energy formed around him repelling the flames.

"I'm surprised that you can use defensive magic." Said IF.

Llouch waltzed off to where Rom and Ram were fighting.

"Rom! Ram! Get behind me!" He yelled.

The two girls listened and went behind him. The opposing team got confused as to why did they stop their advance. Lelouch raised his sword above his head.

"Void Sever!" He yelled as he brought the sword down and in front of him a huge cut appeared creating a shockwave, which pushed back Nepgear and co. Lelouch didn't want to hit them with the slash itself as he was unsure if they could take the damage without casualties.

"Wow, that's so cool!" remarked Ram in awe at the display.

Lelouch felt tired as he still wasn't used to fighting for a long time, so he was hoping that this last attack was enough.

"Ouchies. You are really mean Lu- Lu." Said Compa who had fallen on the ground.

"I sincerely apologize." Replied Lelouch.

Unknown to him, however, his shield was starting to disappear. Nepgear had taken notice that he was getting tired and decided to act.

"Slash Wave!" She yelled the attack sending the boy down to the ground a few feet away.

Rom and Ram then charged at her. She held her own against them pretty good, considering they were in their goddess forms and she wasn't.

"That's enough everybody." Stopped the fight Mina.

Rom and Ram transformed back and the rest got up.

"I should've stopped you from doing this from the beginning. You could've challenge them at some game instead" She started to scold the two little girls.

Lelouch's interest got peeked as he suddenly got an urge to have a good game of chess with somebody but didn't expect anyone from the people around him to be at the level he wanted, so he sighed in disappointment instead.

The twins then turned to Nepgear.

"You weren't bad. I guess we can be friends." Said Ram trying to look unfazed.

"Sure." Replied Nepgear with a smile.

"Yay, we get to be friends with Miss Nepgear." said Rom happily.

Mina then started to talk with the rest of the group of adventurers.

"Are you all planning to leave right away?" she asked.

"Yeah. We are all done here." Replied IF.

"Miss Nepgear… you're leaving?" asked Rom a bit sad.

"Eh…." Ram stated her unconcern.

"Yes, but I'm sure we'll meet again. Please don't look sad. This is supposed to be a happy goodbye." Nepgear said.

"Okay…" replied Rom.

"I'm sorry that we can't assist you any further in your journey, but I wish you good luck." Said Mina as she sent the group off.

Now leaving Lowee Nepgear asked her companions a question.

"Where to next?" asked the girl.

"Leanbox. There aren't any CPU Candidates there but they've got to have a Mascot." Said IF.

Then a phone started to ring.

"Oh its my N-Gear. I bet its Histoire. Hello?" said Nepgear as she answered the call.

"Hello Nepgear. How are things progressing?" asked Histoire on the phone.

"We secured the help of Lowee's Mascot and we are just about to head to Leanbox." Replied Nepgear.

"Excellent timing. I just finished a call with Leanbox's oracle Chika Hakozaki." Said Histoire. "It would appear she is anxious to meet you as soon as possible."

Lelouch didn't like how that sounded, but decided to keep to himself.

"Me? But why?" asked Nepgear.

"I do not know, but she did sound to be in great need. I recommend you make haste to Leanbox." Said Histoire.

"Ok, we're on our way." Said Nepgear and closed the phone.

"So did everyone catch that?" Nepgear asked her friends.

"Hmm… What would the oracle want with us? I guess we'll find out after we arrive." Said IF.

"Yep. How do we get to Leanbox from here though." Asked Nepgear.

"We could take one of the ships that goes between Lastation and Leanbox. We will get there in a jiffy!" said Compa as the group decided to take that route of action.

The gang arrived at the port a little late for their ride and were racing to get on time.

"Please*Pant*…. I can't take this anymore." Said Lelouch whose pace was slowing down as he was trying to catch his breath.

"Wait for us, please… We can't run that fast…" said Compa who was in the same boat as the boy.

"Stop whining. C'mon, if we miss this ship the tickets we bought are useless." Scolded them IF.

"Please push yourselves a little more." Tried to encourage them Nepgear.

The ship's whistle sounded off as it left.

"Aww and there it goes." Remarked Red.

"I ran… sooooo hard… I need… electrolytes…" panted Compa on the verge of falling on the ground.

Lelouch on the other hand was already on it as he was thinking that he was about to die, because of his body being deprived from oxygen, while breathing heavily.

"Jeez… We'll have to catch one tomorrow. I hope this doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." Sighed IF.

Then suddenly from somewhere came an irritating voice.

"Hahaha! Man I almost feel sorry for how slow they are!" gloated Underling who was on the leaving ship.

"Compa my angel, I'll be waiting for you so please come and see me real soon, chu." Said a familiar rat also onboard the ship.

"It's Miss Underling and Mister Mouse!" announced Compa.

"We should chase after them!" said Red.

"But there aren't any more ships leaving today." Replied Nepgear.

"Yeah its biting us in the ass alright." Added IF.

Lelouch still lay on the ground and couldn't care less for the world around him. He decided to speak his mind.

"We are never doing this again. I don't care if we have to be late a whole year, I'm not running like that ever again!" he voiced his complaints and received a glare from IF.

"Yeah, yeah we hear you concrete man. Now get up we'll go stay the night at a hotel until we can catch a ship tomorrow." Said IF as the group started to leave without Lelouch, who got up and followed behind them not extending the effort of catching up to them.

* * *

Hi, guys sorry for the short and late chapter. Today my schedule was a bit uptight but don't worry i hope tomorrow i'll be able to make up for it. With that said in this chapter i flushed out some of Lelouch's other abilities. I plan to add 2 to 3 more skills he can use. Once again sorry for the short chapter and thank you for reading! Have a nice day everyone :D!


	6. Leanbox troubles

**Yes! Finally done! Before i continue i want to thank you guys for keeping up with the story so far and being patient and understanding with me. You guys are an awesome community! Having said please enjoy the rest of the story.**

Chapter 6: Leanbox troubles

The next day the gang got on the first ship to Leanbox and arrived at the island nation expecting some major havoc, but found no seeming trace of it.

"At first glance everything seems to be peaceful…" said IF.

"Yep, but the place where in… feels like a ghetto." Whispered the last part Compa.

"Well considering the fact that there is no CPU or Candidate, this situation was supposed to be expected. It has become an archaic land." Stated Lelouch.

"So? Do we go rat and underling hunting?" asked Red.

"We're going to the Basilicom. The oracle was desperate to meet the Nepgear remember?" reminded her IF. "I'm sure underling and that rat are here for the same reason we are so finding them is just a matter of time."

The group arrived at the Leanbox Basilicom.

"Hello? Oh I see someone. Are you Miss Chika Hakozaki?" Nepgear asked a light green haired woman with dark red eyes, wearing a black and green dress.

"…." The woman didn't answer.

"Um Miss Chika? Maybe I'm wrong?" asked again Nepgear.

"Huh? What the he- O- oh, yeah my name is totally Chika Hakozaki." Replied the woman finally becoming alert of the girl's presence. "Perchance are you… Nepgear?"

"Wow, I'm really happy that I've become so recognizable!" said Nepgear.

"Huh? Uh, well… No, you're not, but…" started to stutter Chika.

"Of course she recognized you, silly. She asked for you to come see her, right, Ge- Ge?" Compa told Nepgear.

"Hehehe. Yeah you're right." Replied Nepgear who was letting the fame get to her head.

"I did?" asked Chika confused.

"Yes, Histoire said that you wanted me to come and see you, so um, here I am!" said Nepgear.

"See… you? Oh, yeah, that's right! Jeez, yeah, awesome. I really needed to see you and crap." Replied Chika with a nervous smile on her face.

Lelouch took note of the oracle's behavior and found it very suspicious, but decided to keep the accusations he had towards the girl to himself as he didn't have solid evidence yet.

"So I don't want to sound rude, but why did you want to see Nepgear so bad?" asked IF.

"Ohhhh… Ummm… Oh, right! I wanted you to help me get rid of a real annoying monster." Replied Chika still with the suspicious behavior.

"You called her all the way here for a simple monster slaying quest." Stated IF baffled.

"Uhhh, well… Leanbox has no CPU now, so it's a struggle for us to defend against even a doggoo." Replied the oracle. "And that's why I was hoping for the help of the battle- seasoned CPU Candidate, Nepgear."

"G- goodness! She just called me battle- seasoned! I'm flattered, but I'm still just a rookie." Started to blush Nepgear.

"No need to be so modest, you broad. Er, so anyway, show off your skills against the monsters found nearby." Chika continued. "I don't think it'll pose much of a threat for someone with as much presence and personality as Nepgear."

"G- golly, I'm probably blushing so hard right now… Okay, leave it all to me!" said Nepgear.

Lelouch wanted to facepalm himself, because of how naïve Nepgear was.

"Uh Gear we have to ask her some questions remember?" reminded her IF.

"Oh, yeah, right. We came here to request aid from Leanbox's Mascot." Said Nepgear. "Would you be able to help us locate it?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll tell you where it is when you get back, all right?" said Chika.

"Whoa, that was easy." Remarked Red.

"Thank you very much! Oh, but if we took the Mascot, wouldn't Leanbox be in danger?" asked Nepgear.

"Meh, it ain't a big deal. I mean it's just a Mascot, so take it if you want it, I guess." Replied Chika.

"…" IF was silent as she realized something wasn't right.

"Wow, that's a relief to hear. Okay, I'm gonna go show that monster how tough and cool I am!" Stated Nepgear.

"Yeah, sure. I look forward to hearing some good news real soon." Said the oracle.

The group left to slay the monsters.

"Whew. That was too damn close. What a pack of idiots, fooled by my fool- proof disguise…" sighed Chika in relief.

Outside on their way to slay the monsters in question.

"Hey. Did anyone else get the feeling that something was off back there?" asked IF.

"Huh? What do you mean 'off'?" asked Nepgear.

"That woman, Chika Hakozaki, is very suspicious. I don't trust her and neither should you." Interrupted them Lelouch.

"Yeah I figured." Said IF.

"Maybe you're being too critical of her you guys." Said Nepgear.

"Better safe than sorry. Don't let your guards down until we know exactly what's going on here." Said IF.

"I agree. You guys go kill those monsters, in the meantime I'll keep my eyes on that oracle and update you if anything happens." Said Lelouch.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Let's go guys." IF said as the other girls followed her.

"Now then, let's see who you really are Miss Hakozaki." Muttered to himself Lelouch as a smile formed on his face.

Lelouch soon caught sight of his target and followed her. She was headed to some kind of back alley. As she got in there she started to undress. Lelouch immediately turned his back towars the girl as he wasn't sure that he wanted to see what he was about to see. Blushing a little he decided to turn around, his pride as a man taking over him, but was treated to a disgusting sight. Underling came out from a costume of the oracle and put it away so it wouldn't be seen.

"Damn. Why do I gotta wear this thing anyway?" She complained as she went off somewhere.

Lelouch, now his theory proven right, decided to make sure that he had proper evidence for later. He took out the costume and decided to mark the back with a marker, just to be sure. That way he was now sure that on their next meeting with Underling he could expose her. He put the costume back where it was and decided to take the rest of the day off.

Lelouch was going around town admiring the scenery and looking at the stores. His tour was interrupted, however, when a blue haired girl bumped into him.

"I- I- I'm sorry!" the girl was stuttering. She had headphones on her head and was wearing a black and pink outfit, a little too revealing for Lelouch's tastes.

"No need to apologize for no harm done." Assured her Lelouch.

"Um, ok… so, uh have a nice day!" said the girl as she almost appeared to shrink into the ground when she ran off.

"*Sigh* Another strange girl. Is it me or have there been no normal women on this journey so far?" asked himself Lelouch when he thought about Histoire. The only strange thing about her was her appearance, but aside from that she was probably the best person to have a conversation with, so far.

Night time came and Lelouch stumbled upon a casino. "Maybe I can enjoy myself a little." The boy thought to himself and entered. He signed for a chess match. His opponent was some rich guy who was full of himself. Lelouch smiled at the opportunity as an urge to crush the man's pride welled up inside him. The game began and ended almost in no time as Lelouch had beaten the man in only eight turns. He took his prize money and decided to call it a day. He went for the hotel closest to the Basilicom and checked in a room. He then decided to read a book and go to sleep.

On the next day he woke up to a few faces standing over him with angry expressions.

"So is this how you keep an eye on a suspect?" mocked him IF.

"Could you not get in my face right from the start of the day. Now all of you get out of my room! Haven't you heard of a thing called privacy!" yelled at them Lelouch.

The girls went outside as they waited for him to get changed. Lelouch turned in the keys to his room and went to where the group was. To his surprise Uni, Rom and Ram were there as well along with a new face. She was a woman with red hair styled in a twin-tail fashion and was wearing a white and red uniform of sort. After he greeted the CPU Candidates IF took charge issuing an order.

"So, you are free to explain yourself." Complained IF.

"Just because you saw me taking a well-deserved brake doesn't mean I haven't done any work." Stated coldly Lelouch.

"So what did you find out?" asked Nepgear curious.

"You'll see just in a few moments. We are heading to speak with the supposed oracle right?" asked Lelouch.

"Yes we are." Answered the woman whose name Lelouch didn't know.

"I am Lelouch. May I ask who you are Miss, since I don't recall you being with these girls yesterday when I left them." Asked Lelouch curious.

"My name is Cave. I work as a part of the Regiment of Defense of Leanbox." Replied Cave.

"Military, huh." Said Lelouch.

"So the Chika person is a giant bully right!?" asked Ram.

"Be patient and you'll see." Lelouch told the girl as he patted her on the head.

The group went in the Basilicom.

"Yuck. I gotta spend my day in this disguise again… I hate this kind of crap…" Underling was complaining to herself.

"Hello is Miss Chika here?" asked Nepgear.

"Crap! Er, uh… A- ahem… Yes I'm right over here." The oracle replied.

"Good. We couldn't find you anywhere yesterday so I had thought you had run away." Said IF.

"Wh- Wh- What?! Me, r- run away? I would never…" replied Chika when she was cut off.

"I'm giving you only one chance to surrender Underling." Said Lelouch raising his pistol at the oracle.

"Wha?!" she was shocked.

The girls turned to him in shock.

"What do you mean? Do you have any proof for such a rash accusation?" asked him Cave.

"it's quite obvious." Added Uni.

"Yeah, I figured as much too." Said IF.

"Indeed, but for those of you who aren't convinced…" The boy turned to the fraud. "Show your back towards them or you'll be disguising yourself as a corpse."

"F- fine!" she said and turned around.

The gang's jaws dropped as on the back of the girl was written "I'm a hindrance to the world and I should jump from a cliff and die." Lelouch was very proud of his work at that moment as he rarely found some comic relief in anything. The girls turned to him a little creeped out by his sense of humor.

"So what's wrong, huh. You can't prove shit you jackass." Started to growl Underling.

"If you are an imposter then where is the real Chika? Answer me!" demanded Cave.

"Damn it! Like hell I'm answering you! I got all I needed from this place so I'm outta here. Later idiots!" Underling said as she ran off.

"Get back here!" yelled IF as the girls gave chase to her.

Lelouch on the other hand was taking his time as he had no intention of running again. The three CPU Candidates were keeping him company.

"You know that wasn't a funny joke right?" asked him Uni about what he had written.

"When did I say that It was a joke?" answered Lelouch.

"Shouldn't we, like, go help them out or something?" asked Ram.

"Uh- huh, I want to help miss Nepgear." Added Rom.

"Well you are free to chase after them If you want to. I'm not stopping you." Said Lelouch.

"Mister Lelouch are you not coming?" asked him Rom.

"I'd like to keep running around without a point to a minimum, so considering the fact that they can probably handle the situation by themselves, so my answer would have to be 'no'." answered Lelouch smiling at the girl.

"I don't get it. Are you lazy or just don't care, if they are in trouble, that much?" asked him Uni.

"Right now… Perhaps both." Lelouch said after giving it some thought.

"Well, ok then we are gonna get ahead of you and get to have all the fun!" said Ram as she, Rom and Uni ran in the direction of the others.

"Sure, have fun!" said Lelouch.

"I on the other hand will take a look at Leanbox's records for some information." Said the boy to himself.

He got on with searching through the databanks of the nation about information that could possibly lead him to some clues about who he is. After a few hours of thorough searching Lelouch was left with nothing as an answer. That bugged him and got him even more curious about his being. He left the office making sure it seemed as if he hadn't been there. When he entered the lobby again he saw the girls return with underling still in the disguise of Chika, or at least that's what he thought.

"You sure took your time." He told the girls and turned to the oracle. "I am surprised that she came back with you willingly, seeing as you haven't handcuffed her or anything of the sort."

"What?! How rude! Who are you to speak like that about the oracle of Leanbox!" snapped at him Chika.

"What?!" Lelouch was dumbfounded.

"Um, Lelouch, that's Chika Hakozaki the oracle of Leanbox." Said to him Neapgear.

The boy was taken aback by the revelation and started to think of a way to get out of this mess.

* * *

 **A cheesy ending finally. I was thinking i would never get a chance to do one, but i'm quite happy with how it turned out. This chapter i decided to allow Lelouch to remind himself of his original goal as it is a crucial plot point. With that said i thank you guys for reading and as always reviews are welcome and i'll answer any questions you may have towards the story. Thank you for your time and have a nice day :D.**


	7. The final Mascot

Chapter 7: The final Mascot and a strange concert

"So? I'm still waiting for your apology." Said Chika taunting the boy.

"Grr!" Lelouch's became full of anger and shame that he had slipped up in such a stupid way.

He was even more angry now that he had to apologize to this failure of an oracle. His pride was yelling at him not to do that, but the situation wasn't going to resolve itself. He decided to suck it up for now. He needed to stay on the good side of things, he couldn't afford to be in jail or anything of that sort.

"I deeply apologize for my carelessness, I had you confused for someone else, Miss." The boy said bowing his head still angry, but didn't let his emotions in his speech.

"Well, I guess I can overlook things this time." Chika said with a playful smile.

"This woman! Is she toying with me!?" Lelouch thought as his anger didn't subside.

"Anyway, sorry about making a scene. I was just kidding you." Started to laugh Chika.

"….." Lelouch became so angry that he was unable to put words into his thoughts. He decided that he had enough of the disrespect of that woman and was about to leave when IF stopped him.

"Hey now, don't tell me you actually took everything to heart and now don't want to stand near her?" the girl said noticing the boy's anger.

"A good observation, now if you'll excuse I'll go somewhere where they don't disrespect people who help others out of their own good will." Lelouch said as he was about to pass through IF.

"C'mon now. Give her another chance. You can't just ignore things that irritate you and act like they don't exist." Told him IF.

Lelouch looked at Red for a moment and replied: "Yes I can."

"Please Lu- Lu stop being so stubborn and just grab a seat." Said Compa.

He sighed seeing that he wouldn't be left alone. He took a seat as further away from anyone as possible and took out a book which he began to read. He was glad that Uni, Rom and Ram hadn't returned with the group. He didn't know if he could pull off a good guy act at the situation.

"Well someone's a little sour." Joked Chika after which she received a glare from the boy.

"Um, Miss Chika, were you the one who called me here or was it the fake's doing?" asked Nepgear.

"It was me. I heard a CPU was gathering shares, and thought it would benefit us to bring you here." Said Chika.

"But more importantly, you know my darling Vert, right? Where is she? What happened? Come on! Speak!" Chika started to demand from the girl.

"Uh, um… C- could you try to calm down a little? You're acting a bit creepy…" replied Nepgear.

"Never mind how YOU feel! Are you withholding information because you want something from me?!" continued Chika.

"Goodness…" said Nepgear as she started to explain everything to the oracle.

After finishing Chika seemed to calm down a bit.

"Now I see. My darling Vert is still being held captive in the Gamindustri Graveyard." Said Chika worryingly.

"Yes. That's why we are looking for the Mascots. We need their help to rescue the CPUs." Explained Nepgear. "Miss Chika, would you happen to know where the Leanbox Mascot is?"

"Do you doubt my breadth of knowledge and expertise? Of course I… used to… know where it was." Said Chika a little disappointed.

"Did you forget?" asked Compa.

"Well, right before I was caught by that repulsive ASIC crew, the Mascot was also taken captive." Said the oracle.

"Do you think they already destroyed it, then? Like how they did back in Lowee?" suggested Red.

"No, that seems unlikely. Had it been destroyed, we would've seen significant changes around here." Answered Chika.

"Why would they hold off on destroying it?" asked Compa.

"What am I, a mind reader? With how scattered ASIC's priorities are, it's hard to guess their actions." Said Chika. "All I can sense Is that they have not destroyed it yet. Meaning, we have a chance to recover it."

"That's the best news we've heard in a while. We have to find it and quick." Said Nepgear.

"First we need some leads. Specifically we need to find Underling and beat the leads out of her." Stated IF with a satisfied smile.

"If she is as fishy as you describe, then she will surely stand out. I will gather information also." Said Cave.

With that the group left off. On his way out Lelouch shot Chika a gaze which was filled with anger. The oracle noticed that and gave him a playful wink. Lelouch blushed a little, making a sour face, and quickly followed after the others.

It didn't take long for the group to get a hold of Underling's whereabouts. They went inside an ASIC hideout and found their target. There they saw the girl and rat having another one of their arguing sessions.

"You blew your disguise AND let them get the oracle back, huh? You're beyond useless, chu…" said the rat.

"Shut it! First off, disguises ain't my style. Stupid frilly crap and big moe eyes… It's gross, man." Complained Underling.

"I guess you're right about that. No way a gross broad like you could fill an oracle's shoes, chu." Replied the rat.

"Y'know, I get your point, and it's true… but hearing it from you pisses me off more than usual!" Yelled Underling.

"Well, you're a payroll toilet who can't do her job. As for me, I did as I was told and got the Mascot, chu." Said the rat.

"…." The green disk was silent.

"Tch. Lame. IF you caught it then hurry up and destroy it. It's a bother to keep it alive, dammit…" complained again Underling.

"Orders are orders. You're a real amateur if you think everything can be solved through wanton destruction, chu." Snapped at her the rat.

"Hey! Underling Is one thing, but don't you freaking call me an amateur, you rat!" yelled Underling.

The group finally located where the shouting was coming from.

"There! I found her!" said Nepgear.

"We're all grateful for your loud mouth Underling. It's so easy to track you down." Said IF with a smirk.

"What?! You dumb broads again? How the hell did you find me in this place?!" asked Underling shocked.

"We asked the citizens for the whereabouts of a sketchy girl and a big rat. It was actually quite easy." Answered Cave.

On the other hand, the rodent was filled with happiness at the sight of Compa.

"My angel Compa! You came to see me? I'm beside myself with sheer ecstasy, chu!" said the rat with a fluttering expression.

"Mister Mouse, will you please return the Mascot to us?" asked Compa with a serious expression.

"Yeah, totally! Anything for you. Want me to bubble- wrap it, chu?" quickly replied the rodent.

He received a smack on the head from Underling.

"This ain't no time to turn on your rat charm, you idiot! You broads think we'd give in that easily?" stated Underling.

"Not really. You can't expect a monkey to understand reason, so we came prepared to use force." Replied Lelouch.

"Prepare yourselves!" said Cave as she and the group took out their weapons.

"Don't think that this fight is gonna go down like before!" shoutef Underling as she took out her bat.

She and the rat then proceeded to be beaten down by the girls while Lelouch simply watched from the side.

"Dammit… I lost again…" Underling sighed in defeat.

"Slapped sill by my angelic Compa… this bliss, chu!" added the rat.

"Despite what she said it turned out the same as usual." Stated IF.

"What did you expect? They are hardly a challenge anymore." Replied Lelouch.

Nepgear had taken the Mascot and was conversing with it.

"Are you ok? Did they hurt you?" asked Nepgear.

"I am fine, thank you. May I ask who you are?" said the Mascot.

"Oh! Hello I'm Nepgear, Planeptune's CPU Candidate, and I want your help to save the world." Fired off Nepgear.

"Um, Ge- Ge? That's a little too much summarizing." Told her Compa.

"No, that was plenty of information. I can sense the other Mascots power within her." Answered the green disc. "Save the world, hmm?"

"So you got what I was trying to say? Then…!" Nepgear was cut off.

"Hold. Protocol dictates we must first gain Chika's approval. Let us return to the Basilicom and then…" Cave was also cut off.

"Hey, what the hell, you guys?! Don't ignore me just because the battle ended!" said Underling.

"Well, this is a new pattern. I thought you had ran away by now." Said IF.

"Didn't you have enough? I'd really like to deal less with you." Said Lelouch annoyed.

"Shut it! I still got an ace up my sleeve!" she said as she took out something.

"That's… a Mascot disc. Where did you get that?" asked her the Mascot of Leanbox.

"Oh, this? It was a gift from my totally badass boss." Underling replied. "I was told to use it and get rid of you all!"

Underling and the rat then began glowing with the disc's energy.

"Whoaaa… Oh yeah, this is frickin' great… This power… its incredible!" said the powered up Underling.

"Now I might be strong enough to… Yeah. Waiting is just another way of showing love. It's time for force, chu!" added the rat.

"Tch. It doesn't matter if you power up, you'll still be weaklings." Said Lelouch firing at them with his pistol. "Dark Barrage Blast!"

The two ASIC members took the attack and stood there as if it hadn't even fazed them.

"Was that supposed to be an attack? It tickled a little!" said Underling with a smirk as she bashed the boy sending him flying.

"Guhh!" the boy groaned in pain as he tried to get up.

"Oh, no! Lelouch?!" shouted Nepgear.

"How dare you abuse the power of us Mascots!" said the green disc.

"Hahaha… I can win… I can finally win this! It's payback time you bitches!" laughed Underling.

The rat was drooling at Compa.

"Ewww… Please stay at least a few feet away Mister Mouse." Said the girl disgusted.

"I wish we could run by I highly doubt she'd let this opportunity slip by her." Said IF worried.

"And after we were finally able to save the Mascot, too…" sighed Nepgear.

"Never give up! Never surrender!" came a girl's voice.

"That lovely voice… 5pb?! Why are you here?" asked Cave.

Lelouch looked up.

"It's you, the strange girl." He said.

"Wh-wh-wha?!" 5pb was shocked as she realized she had bumped into him yesterday. "I'm so so so sorry!"

"Don't worry about that. Now if you are here that means that you're going to help us I assume." Lelouch replied.

"Yes, right." 5pb turned to Underling and the rat and sang a song.

Their powers disappeared and they were confused.

"Seriously, what the hell man?!" Underling voiced her confusion.

"It's a lovely song. I feel so reenergized." Said Nepgear.

"Yep, I feel like I can even do brain surgery." Stated Compa.

Lelouch felt a chill down his spine after hearing those words.

"5pb's songs possess magical capabilities." Said Cave.

"I'm not gonna get beat by some lame pop song!" said Underling as they engaged in a fight once more.

Lelouch wanted payback so he was quick to react this time. Underling tried to swing at him another time, but he blocked it with his sword and pushed her back.

"I've really had enough of you for one day! Void Rupture!" Yelled the boy slashing his sword and making everything in the direction into sliced bread.

Underling was sent to the ground, wounded from the attack. The girls finished the rat on the side as well.

"Thank you very much 5pb. Really!" said Nepgear.

5pb looked at her and then the rest of the group, turned red like a tomato and ran away.

"Sh- she ran away from me… Do I smell funny?" Nepgear started to get depressed.

"Do not be alarmed. Forgive her. When not performing she is a very shy individual." Said Cave clearing up the misunderstanding.

"I- I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run, but…!" 5pb said shaking behind Cave.

"Well that explains a lot about her behavior." Lelouch said. "Still doesn't make her any less strange." He thought to himself.

"You really helped us save the Mascot. Thanks Miss 5pb." Said Compa.

"Yes I'm very grateful to you all." Replied the Mascot.

"With the Mascot and Chika safe we should head back." Said Cave.

"Yeah, our work here is done. Let's get back to the Basilicom." Said IF.

Lelouch wasn't exactly pleased that he was going back to that idiot oracle's place, but continued alongside the others anyway.

They arrived back at the Basilicom.

"Oh. Looks like you were able to save the Mascot after all." Said Chika.

"Yes, but we were hoping you'd let us take it with u-." Nepgear was cut off.

"Yeah, sure." Said Chika. "I do have one condition, though. You must save my darling Vert post- haste!"

"Yes, we plan to. We won't rest until we save everyone." Said Nepgear.

"But, wait, I don't see 5pb. Where is that kid?" asked Chika.

"She has been hiding behind my back this entire time." Said Cave.

"H-here I am… Hello…" spoke 5pb.

"Oh. Just so you're here. This involves you too, so listen up." Said Chika. "ASIC's teachings have spread while I was captive. We must take drastic action against this."

"O-oh, okay. So, um, what does that have to do with me?" asked 5pb.

"I need you for my plan to work. We're going to hold a giant concert with you as a headliner!" Chika triumphantly gave out her idea.

Later the stage for the concert was set and nighttime had fallen.

"Goodness, look at that crowd." Nepgear was in awe of the number of people.

"Now I get it. This could fix the Leanbox situation in a single go." Said IF.

"A strange solution if you ask me." Lelouch said disinterested in the concert.

5pb appeared next to the group.

"Hello everyone, I am glad that you made it." said 5pb.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, Uni, Rom and Ram were there too.

"It's not like I wanted to come to this concert or anything." Said Uni in a typical tsundere fashion.

"My first concert. I'm so excited, aren't you Ram?" Rom asked her twin.

"We're gonna brag all about this to Mina when we go home!" said Ram.

"Are they also CPU Candidates? I'd love it if you'd all listen to my songs." Said 5pb.

"The spotlight is yours 5pb." Told her Cave.

"Oh, whoops. I forgot I was the opening act. I'll see you guys later, okay?" said 5pb as she left the group.

5pb got on the stage and greeted the audience and sang a song.

"Hey everyone! Are we having fun yet?" said the idol.

"YEAHH! It's 5pb!" the crowd of men roared. "You're so hot! I'm addicted to your voice!"

Lelouch was sickened by all the primal shouting and comments of the crowd.

"Hearing that makes me so happy! But before I sing my next song, let's make a special promise! I'm able to put on concerts and sing for you because of the CPUs watching over us all." Said 5pb. "If you really love me and my music, you'll love the CPUs too, right? Don't be fooled by anyone else!"

"YEAAHHHH! CPUs KICK ASS!" roared again the crowd.

Lelouch felt so out of place, that he wanted to up and leave, but was stopped by IF.

"C'mon now her singing is great." Said IF.

"I can't take that away from her, sure, but this crowd of morons is what's bugging me." Replied Lelouch.

Chika appeared next to the boy.

"Are you having trouble with our citizens?" she asked him sarcastically.

"Mind your own business." Said Lelouch turning his back to her.

"The concert is going just as planned. But the real treat is yet to come. This next move will end ASIC's plans for good." The oracle said.

Then a boy band appeared and the crowd started booing them like there is no tomorrow.

"What?! My perfect plan failed? What could've possibly gone wrong? Idols are all the rage…" Chika was shocked.

"But apparently boy bands are not." Lelouch said with a satisfied smirk as he was enjoying the oracle's dilemma.

"What should we do? They might riot at this rate." Said Nepgear trying not to be squashed by the people around her.

"We must resolve this as soon as possible." Said Cave worried.

"But what can we do about this? Hmm… Oh, I have an idea! Uni, Rom, Ram listen to this." Nepgear said as she whispered something to the girls.

"What?" exclaimed Ram.

"I wanna help Miss Nepgear." Said Rom.

"This better not be a waste of my time." Complained Uni.

The girls went over to a worried 5pb, who was desperately trying to hold down the crowd. Told her their plan and appeared on stage.

"Um, hello everyone! I have an announcement to make!" said Nepgear to the crowd which gathered its attention towards her.

"Um… Hi, I'm Nepgear. I'm the CPU Candidate of Planeptune." The girl said.

"I-I'm Uni, from Lastation. Y-You better stop leering at me, or I'll never forgive you!" said Uni embarrassed.

"Howdy everyone! I'm Ram, and this is my twin sister, Rom. IT's super cool to meet you!" said Ram.

"Uh- huh…" Rom was embarrassed to say anything.

They got a positive reaction from the crowd.

"U-Um, please watch us as we sing and dance for you. We aren't pros, but I hope you can enjoy it!" Said Nepgear.

Then the four girls threw on a performance which didn't calm down the crowd, but instead got them even more excited at the girls. Lelouch was disgusted even further at the comments he was hearing inside the crowd and thought to himself: "These idiots, don't they have any decency?! At least the girls don't seem to take it to heart.".

"Yay, we did it Uni! They love us they really love us!" said Nepgear as she jumped and hugged Uni.

"You're too close! Get off!" Uni was trying to separate herself from Nepgear.

"Yeah, awesome! We are popular now Rom." Said Ram.

"Uh- huh." Replied Rom.

"Thank you for coming today! I hope you'll continue to support us! Thanks again!" finished off Nepgear.

They received cheers from the crowd as the event ended. The whole group then gathered back at the Basilicom.

"Well done girls. Everyone seemed quite enamored with you. Naturally my plan was a success." Said Chika full of herself.

"Because they were there to clean up the mess you made." Remarked Lelouch.

"Oof! You hold a grudge like some kid! Grow up!" Said Chika annoyed at his comment.

"Why you!" Lelouch was getting really angry but then an idea popped in his head. "Why don't you prove how childish I am in a game of chess?"

"Hmph, like some stuck up boy could be any good at the game. Fine then I accept your challenge!" replied Chika.

"Goodness, those two still haven't made up?" asked Nepgear.

"Yeah, it would seem Lelouch is the type of person who really holds onto grudges." Said IF.

The game was set up and the two players took their place. Lelouch took the black pieces and Chika took the white.

"Ladies first." He taunted.

"Fine then." Chika wasn't backing down.

The game proceeded normally until Lelouch moved the king forwards.

"Why are you moving the king? You want to lose that badly?" started to taunt him Chika.

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow." Lelouch said with a smile on his face.

"That's some ideology there." Commented IF.

The game then quickly turned into Lelouch's favor as he swiftly put Chika on the ropes. The girls watching them were in awe when Lelouch dealt the final blow.

"Check mate." He said satisfied at the oracle's expression of surprise.

"How?!" She still couldn't believe she was beat that fast.

"Well then having proven my superiority I think I'll take a well- deserved brake reading a book. If any of you need me for something, I'll be over there." Leloouch said that as he went over and grabbed a seat pulling out another book this time.

"Well, the stay here wasn't a total waste, since I got some shares from that concert, so back to Lastation I go!" said Uni changing the subject.

"We should go home too Rom." Said Ram.

"Ok." Rom replied.

"Oh… Everyone's going home?" said Nepgear saddened.

"Stop making that pouty face. It's not like I want to, but… I have my own things to do. Bye." Uni said as she left.

"Bye- bye, Miss Nepgear." Said Rom.

"C'mon we're leaving!" Said Ram as the twins left.

"And there they go again…" Nepgear sighed.

"Aww, don't let it get you down. You'll see them again, I'm sure of it." Comforted her Compa.

Chika finally managed to get a hold of herself.

"So what is your next move girls?" asked the oracle.

"Well we got all the Mascots." Said Red.

"Right. It's time for us to go back to Planeptune and come up with our next plan of attack." Said IF.

"I have high hopes for you all. Keep your promise and bring back my darling Vert ASAP." Said Chika as she then looked at Lelouch, who wasn't interested in the conversation, and muttered. "Well, almost all that is."

"Please leave it to us. We'll be going now." Said Nepgear as they were about to leave.

"U-Um!" said 5pb as she came in the room.

"Oh, 5pb." Said Nepgear.

"Good I caught you before you left." The idol said. "Um, your impromptu concert was really inspiring! Watching you four on stage was so exciting!"

"G- Goodness, we were nothing compared to you…" said Nepgear.

"Don't say that. I was helpless to stop the crowd from going berserk. I'm so ashamed." Said 5pb. "B-But, I don't want to feel like that again, so… please take me with you!"

"What inspired you so?" asked Cave.

"I want my songs to be heard outside of Leanbox, too. I want to sing for the entire world." Said 5pb. "I'm not sure how far I'll make it on my own, but I want to keep supporting everyone, so, please."

"Welcome to the club 5pb!" said Red.

"Yes, you're more than welcome to come with us." Said Nepgear happily as the group had another member.

"I'll work to maintain the status quo here, then." Said Cave.

"Thank you Cave." Replied 5pb.

Lelouch sighed, because it was going to get even noisier, and followed the rest as they exited the Basilicom.

* * *

 **We are getting closer to the rescue of the CPUs guys! While I'm at it I'm gonna say that this chapter was a lot of fun. It didn't have as much Lelouch action, but anticipate his first confrontation with a CFW. Anyaway thank you for reading and have a nice day!**


	8. Counter attack

Chapter 8: Counter attack

A few days went by when the group finally reached Planeptune. In the Basilicom Histoire greeted them.

"Welcome back. That must have been quite the adventure for all of you." Said Histoire.

Red and 5pb were in awe of the size of Planeptune's Basilicom and the grand scale of it all.

"Wow! Out of all the Basilicoms this one's the coolest." Said Red.

"I wonder how many people would fit, if I held a concert in here." Asked herself 5pb.

"Just like you've asked we've secured the help of all the nations Mascots." Said IF to the oracle.

"So I can sense. Also, with the Shares you have regained, we have been creating a new Sharicite." Said Histoire.

Lelouch received a headache after hearing the last word, but it quickly faded away.

"Once that's made…" started IF.

"Correct. We can once again attempt to rescue the CPUs." Finished Histoire.

"Hoorayy!" started to happily exclaim Compa.

"We're saving the older CPUs? Dude, I can't wait to see my more mature wifeys!" said Red.

"I might get the chance to perform in front of all four CPUs!" started to get excited 5pb.

"This time, I won't fail." Said IF.

"…." Nepgear was being silent.

"What's wrong?" asked her Lelouch.

"Um, please wait a moment!" Nepgear said to the whole group.

"What is it, Ge- Ge?" asked Compa.

"Awww, we were getting so hyped up. What gives?" asked too Red.

"Um, the other CPU Candidates… Maybe we should have them come with us too." Said Nepgear.

"Was that not already part of the original plan?" Histoire said.

"They all refused. It would be a waste of energy to just go all over to try and make them agree now." Said IF.

"I guess, but…" Nepgear was cut off by IF's phone ringing.

"Oh, hold on it's one of my phones." Said IF as she took it out and answered the call.

"Hey what's up? Huh? You're kidding me! Okay. Okay, sounds good. You be careful, too. Bye." IF finished her phone call and began making a worried face.

"What is it Iffy? You look like Lu- Lu now." Said Compa.

"Hey!" The boy tried to defend his case but to no avail as usual.

"Of course I do. ASIC activity in Lowee exploded. Over 90 percent of their Shares were stolen away." Said IF.

Everyone became shocked at the statement.

"That many!? Absurd… What could have happened there?" said Histoire worried.

"My source didn't have that much intel. It really must have happened out of the blue." Said IF.

"Do you know if Rom and Ram are okay?" asked Nepgear.

"Weren't you listening? The guild hardly has any info yet." Replied IF.

"I cannot be certain, but if so many Shares were taken, the CPUs will present some side effects." Stated Histoire.

"Oh, no…" Nepgear was worried.

"This must take priority, despite it being a different nation. It may impact our overall strategy." Said Histoire. "Creating the Sharicite will take some time, so I ask that you all go and investigate this incident."

Lelouch received another quick migraine, but decided to think nothing of it.

"Okay we will. I just hope those two are ok…" said Nepgear.

The group took off for Lowee.

After arriving there they immediately went for the Basilicom.

"Hello?" asked Nepgear.

"Oh, if it isn't you people. What brings you back to Lowee?" asked Mina nervous.

"You look pale. What's going on Miss Nishizawa?" asked Lelouch noticing the oracle's condition.

"I do? My apologies… I haven't been able to get as much sleep these past few days." Said Mina.

"Are things that bad?" asked Compa.

"What about Rom and Ram? Are they doing ok?" asked Nepgear in turn.

"No… we're not, dummy…" said the voice of Ram as the girl appeared and she looked even worse than Mina.

"Oh, dear. She looks very sick." Said 5pb.

"Ram, where's your sister?" asked Nepgear.

"Sleeping. She's asleep more than she's awake, ever since that day." Said Ram.

"That day? What's going on here exactly!?" said IF suspicious of the situation.

"We're unsure, ourselves. We only know that we suddenly lost a great deal of Shares, leading to this…" said Mina.

"Got it, we should investigate the cause first and then…" IF was cut off.

"Please slow down IF. Rom and Ram's health comes first." Said Nepgear.

"Huh?" Ram was confused.

"How can we help sick CPUs?" asked Red.

"By getting their Shares back. If we do that the two of them should get better, I think." Said Nepgear.

"Ho, you've become quite the hero." Said Lelouch with a smile. "I agree with you, but you know that after we get the shares back we should we prepared to repeat the process."

"I know, but… Hmm, Miss Mina? Do you have the equipment needed to craft Sharicite here?" asked Nepgear.

Lelouch at this point began to be curious why he was getting these headaches, when he received another one, as they were getting annoying.

"Y- Yes, all Basilicoms do. I know the method to make it, but why do you ask?" Mina was confused.

"If we recover some Shares, can you make it into Sharicite immeadiately? Is it possible in small amounts?" asked Nepgear.

"Fine, not like you'd change your mind, anyway." Sighed IF.

"Can you really save Rom?" asked Ram.

"Not just her, you too. I'll go get some shares right away, okay?" said Nepgear.

"W-Wait a moment, please! I appreaciate this, but we couldn't possibly ask for your help just like that." Said Mina.

"Don't worry, we want to help." Replied Nepgear.

"But someone not from Lowee helping us puts us in a global disadvantage, and…" Mina was cut off by Nepgear.

"So are you saying we should sit back and watch those two suffer?!" said Nepgear.

"Hold on for a minute Nepgear." Lelouch said turning to Mina. "I understand your situation. We will make a deal, how about that? In exchange for us helping the twins, they will come with us on our journey."

"Is that really a good deal for you? It sounds like I'd be the only one to benefit from that." Said Mina.

"Nonsense. The two girls will be of great help, given how strong they are." Said Lelouch.

"Accept it! C'mon, stop talking and save Rom! Please!" Ram started to beg Mina and the rest.

"Ram, you mustn't agree on something that us adults need to discuss!" Said Mina.

"Alright it's a deal! I'll go get some Shares, I promise!" said Nepgear with a smile on their face as she left.

"She really muscled her way through that deal, didn't she? Perhaps I'm not fit to be an oracle…" Mina was cut off by Lelouch.

"That she did, but that is no cause for you to start doubting your position. You have a duty to uphold and you can't be having second thoughts." Lelouch said with a serious voice preventing the oracle from continuing.

He then, alongside the other girls, went to help Nepgear.

After completing some quests, they had acquired a sum of Shares.

"We got some Shares back. I just hope it's enough." Said Nepgear.

"We should head back, before we lose them again." Stated Lelouch.

"Speaking of losing them again. We have no idea what caused this, do we?" said 5pb.

"Behind something bad like this could only be someone bad." Stated Red proud of herself for deducing the obvious.

"Hmm?" Compa was curious as she saw a familiar face in the distance.

It was the rat, which was humming something and was headed somewhere.

"What's Mister Mouse doing here?" asked Compa.

"I knew I smelled a rat. I just didn't think we'd find one in a literal sense." Said IF.

The rat went inside a back alley and the group followed after him.

"Thanks for the wait, bub! Here's the super emulator chip you wanted, chu!" said the rat to a group of people.

"Oh, no he didn't! Give me three!" said one preparing his money.

The rest of the crowd followed suite.

"Hey, hey. No pushing. We got plenty for everyone, chu." Said the rodent. "And make sure to tell your friends who don't have, that they should get one from me, chu."

"Ah- ha. That explains it." Said IF.

"Those emulation chips must have been spread far and wide here…" said 5pb.

"Let's bust 'em before they can take any more Shares away!" said Red.

"Stop right there! Bad Mister Mouse!" said Compa.

"Huh? Whooooooa, my sweet angel Compa! Am I dreaming? Has my angelic Compa come to buy a chip from little ol' me?" said the rat plunging into his delusions.

"Absolutely not! I'm gonna stomp them and break them and stuff!" she replied.

"You'll what?! I can't let that happen! B-But, if it makes my sweet Compa happy, then maybe…, chu…" the rat started to ponder when he snapped himself back to reality. "N-No, no way! These are a real bitch to manufacture. I can't let that happen, not even for you, chu!"

The rodent began to run away.

"Hey, get back here!" said Red.

"We'll chase him down. We definitely cannot allow him to distribute any more of those!" said Nepgear as the group headed back to the Basilicom to inform the oracle of their find.

Mina was shocked to hear their news.

"A new Arfoire chip? So that was the cause…" she said.

"Don't sweat it! We stomped them until they turned into nothing but dust piles!" said Red happy.

"We think your Shares are safe for now." Said Compa.

"Yeah, okay, but what about Rom? What's gonna happen to her?" worried Ram.

"Calm down, Ram. Albeit small, I can make a piece of Sharicite to treat her with these Shares." Calmed her down Mina.

"So… she's gonna get better?" asked Ram.

"Yes. I'm sure she'll be fine." Said Nepgear.

"Oh… Man, what a relief." Said Ram.

Unknown to them, however, Underling had infiltrated the Basilicom and was in Rom's room.

"Tactical espionage entrance success! All clear inside, boss!" she said.

"Good! H-Hrmm? Wait… My body seems to be stuck. I don't think I can fit…" said a grotesque machine.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that you're a big dude. Why'd you wanna come along this time, anyway?" asked Underling.

"Bwahaha… It's obvious, no? I heard the snores of a gorgeous young lady asleep in this very room!" replied the thing.

"Uh, okay. Well, there is a kid sleeping, but…" Underling was cut off.

"Oooh! I simply must see her! Stare at her sleeping face! Why must I get stuck now?!" started to whine the creature.

"This, probably, isn't your type of job, boss." Said Underling.

"Agggh, it's this foolish ceiling! I shall dole out an appropriate punishment for this!" started to yell and rattle the machine.

"W-Whoa! Boss, you're making way too much noise!" said Underling trying to calm him down.

Meanwhile the gang was waiting for the Sharicite to be finished.

"C'mon hurry it up, Mina! You're slow like a grandma!" started to get impatient Ram.

"Now, now. This process cannot be rushed… It's nearly ready… And, there we go. Done." Said Mina as she finished making the crystal.

"Yay! Finally!" Ram started to jump with joy.

"Whew. While it's small, I feel it should have enough power to help Rom recover." Said Mina.

"Let's hurry to Rom's side and…" Nepgear was cut off by some loud noise coming from the direction of Rom's room.

"What was that? It sounded like something happened in me and Rom's bedroom." Said Ram worried.

"I know that sound! That's what a falling ceiling sounds like!" said 5pb.

"I'm not even going to ask why, or how for that matter, you know that." Said Lelouch curious at the sound.

"Oh, no! Rom was in there!" said Ram as she hurried to her room.

In the room Underling was panicking that they were most likely heard.

"What the hell, boss? Those broads are gonna know we are here!" she said panicked.

"A small price to pay, for me to leer at this beautiful young fruit. My, so lovely!" said the thing after sniffing the room. "Can I be the one to carry her out of here? Maybe gently massage her?"

"Stop it, boss! This is no time for you to live out your fantasies. We gotta do our thing and bounce!" said Underling still panicked.

"Ah, yes, true. How rude of me. No matter, I will tend to her messy hair later." Replied the thing.

"H-Huh? A stranger?" said Rom as she was awakening.

"Heeheehee… Don't be scared my sleeping beauty. Look deep into my eyes. Ever… so… deep." As he said that Rom started to cry while he did some type of magic on her.

Rom fell asleep again.

"Good, good. Be sure to treat her well while in your care. She is my very special guest." Said the thing to Underling. "Understood?! You are not to lay a single finger on my cutie pie, or you'll face my full wrath!" with that he teleported out of there leaving Underling and Rom behind.

"Dude, he'd be a real badass if he didn't have such messed up tastes." Said Underling whining to herself.

Then Ram came waltzing into the room.

"Rom! Are you ok?" she asked.

"Here comes the broad brigade, right on cue. Frickin chore…" continued to complain Underling.

"What are you doing here? Get away from Rom, now!" Yelled Nepgear.

"Yeah, okay. Feel free to convince her to leave my side, chumps." Said Underling as Rom hugged her.

"Rom, what are you doing?! Don't hug our enemy, dummy!" Ram was confused.

"Enemy, huh? Let's test her out…" said Underling as she turned to Rom. "Hey, brat. Everyone wants to see you beat the crap outta your enemy."

"Kay." Rom replied and stroke at Ram.

"Ow! Stoppit, Rom! Don't hit me!" said Ram in pain.

"Hahaha, looks like the twerp sees you as her enemy now." Said Underling.

"What'd you do this time?" asked IF mad.

"Brainwashing, duh. The brat was so weak without any Shares, it took hold right away." Replied Underling.

"Brainwashing?! Corrupting the mind of a CPU is a capital offense!" said Mina.

"Hell if I care! Time for me to go and get the rest of your stupid nation's Shares. C'mon, brat!" said Underling.

"Kay." Replied Rom.

The two ran away.

"Wait! Rom! ROOOM!" yelled Ram in attempt to get her sister to stop, but to no avail.

"Whoa, don't run after them, kid. Nothing we can do by chasing them without a plan." Said IF.

"Shut up! I've got to get Rom back! Let me go!" started to squirm Ram.

"IF's right, Ram. Right now if you go after them you'll only share your sister's fate." Said Lelouch holding the girl. "It'd be best for us to think of something first."

"Underling said that it was easy to brainwash her, because she didn't have Shares." Said Lelouch formulating the plan while still holding Ram in place. "Then our course of action should be to counteract it. If it was easy because of low Shares, then…"

"If we get enough Shares back, she'll snap out of it." Finished IF for him having caught on to his plan.

"Right." Said Lelouch.

"Shares, huh? Then do you think that Sharicite would work?" asked Nepgear, after which Lelouch received another headache.

It wasn't huge, but it was enough for him to lessen his grip on Ram and the girl to start running again, only to be blocked off by Mina.

"We've no other options, right now. It is worth a shot." Mina said.

"Okay, then we're done talking! C'mon let's hurry up and find her!" said Ram leading the group towards the direction in which Underling and Rom had left.

They found them soon after. Underling was using Rom to cause chaos in the city.

"Yeah, good girl! Destroy!" Underling was overjoyed.

"Destroy… everything…" replied Rom in her HDD form.

She then caused a huge explosion near them.

"Hahaha, this is awesome! Front row seat to watch a CPU blow up her own nation!" said Underling.

"There you are!" Came the voice of Nepgear.

"Ugh, it's the peanut gallery. Just when I was enjoying myself…" Underling sighed and continued. "Read the atmosphere, you idiots!"

"How could you say that you enjoy seeing this destruction?!" said 5pb shocked.

"Gimme back Rom! Or else!" threatened Ram.

"Or else, what? You'll fight me? Okay, do your best, shortstack." Said Underling taunting the girl. "Just know that this kid is gonna act as my shield as soon as you try anything."

"Do it Gear!" said IF.

Nepgear threw the Sharicite at Rom. It began to glow emitting a white light. Lelouch received another headache from it.

"Oh shit, that's bright. Not! It was really just a sparkle. Is that really all you got?" asked underling confused.

"Please come back Rom!" pleaded Nepgear.

Rom started to be in pain.

"What! Don't tell me this is the 'trying to come back' cliché." Said Underling shocked.

"It's working! She just needs one more push." said Compa.

"Ram go talk to your sister!" Said Lelouch.

"It's me, Rom! Your super awesome twin sister Ram! Say my name!" said Ram.

"Ok, not what I had in mind." Admitted Lelouch at the display.

"R-Ram…?" said Rom struggling.

"That worked?" Lelouch was shocked.

"C-Crap! If she snaps out of it, the boss is gonna have my head!" started to panic Underling. "Hey, we're leaving brat! Hurry it up!"

"Urghh… Kay." Replied Rom who was still struggling with the brainwashing.

"Noooo! Wait, Rom!" tried to stop them Ram.

"It's on the verge of wearing off. We can't back down now!" said IF as the group chased after them.

After running off into a snow mountain dungeon, Underling decided to stop to catch her breath.

"*Pant, pant* Damn, I didn't think they'd have a way to reverse it so quick." Said Underling.

"Uuuugh." Rom was still trying to free herself from the brainwashing.

"Stop with the crybaby antics! Good for nothing brat." Underling mumbled to herself.

"Don't move a muscle!" came IF's voice.

"Jeez, already?!" stated Underling.

This time Lelouch didn't feel like wanting to die from all the running. It would seem that from the constant physical labor he had to go through, his muscles had decided that they exist for a reason and that they should keep to it. Lelouch was surprised at himself, gaining a new view on anatomy, and even considered starting a full time training regimen if he had the free time to do so.

"Rom! Get a grip!" said Ram.

"We're here to take you home." Added Nepgear.

"Ram… Miss Nepgear…" the girl was starting to come to.

"Yeah, that's what you think! Brainwashing reinforcement, go! Check this thing out, twerp." Said Underling as she hurled some object that began glowing.

"W-Waaaah!" Rom cried out in pain.

"Rom!" Ram was worried.

"What's going on? She looks like she's in pain." Asked Compa.

"No… It's that light!" 5pb caught on to the situation.

"Listen. Those broads are your enemies. Okay? We kill our enemies, got it?" said Underling to the newly brainwashed Rom.

"Oh…" replied Rom.

"Stop doing weird things to my sister!" Ram ran towards them.

The device shined again and then suddenly stopped.

"Gaaah!" Ram cried out in pain.

"The hell? Don't get between us, brat!" said Underling.

"Hey, don't do anything rash." Said IF.

"Ram! Rom!" said Nepgear.

"Well it ran out of energy. The hell happened? Don't tell me I used it for nothing…" said Underling.

The twins were now just standing there, silent and still like corpses.

"Huh? Wait a sec… Maybe… Hey brats, call me 'Boss Lady'." Said Underling.

"Boss Lady…" replied Rom.

"Give us a command, Boss Lady." Said Ram.

"Uh- oh, did it affect them both?!" asked Red.

"Just great." Said Lelouch in a dissatisfied tone.

"Hahaha! That idiot brainwashed herself!" said Underling. "I couldn't have asked for a better result. Go and kill those broads!"

"Yes, Boss Lady." Replied both girls.

Ram then too transformed into HDD.

"What do we do now?" asked Compa.

"Forcing them into submission is our only choice now. Scrubbing their brains clean comes later." Said IF.

"Right. This might hurt a little, but we promise this will help you in the end Rom and Ram." Said Nepgear.

Nepgear then transformed as well. The two smaller CPU Candidates engaged her in combat.

"Ice coffin!" Both girls cast ice magic on her.

Nepgear was pushed back a little, but the difference in strength was clear.

"Mirage dance!" Nepgear yelled out her attack and slashed Rom and Ram several times in a combo.

The two girls faltered back from the damage they received. IF decided to use this chance.

"Sharicite! Now!" She yelled.

"Got it! Come back to your senses!" Nepgear said using the crystal on the two girls.

The crystal flashed for a moment.

"Ooof… Miss Nepgear?" said Rom confused.

"Do you recognize us Rom?" asked Nepgear.

"Owwyy… I get that you had to stop us, but did you have to be such a bully about it?" asked Ram.

"What a relief. They both seem back to normal." Stated 5pb.

"Does this girl like stating the obvious?" thought to himself Lelouch.

"Okay, this sucks all of a sudden. Stay and get clawed to shreds, or run away and get chewed to pieces…" Underling was weighing her options.

"You've made enough of a scene!" Came a grotesque voice.

The voice had an appearance to match. The thing was a huge fat robot with what looked like a dragon head. It had glowing green eyes and was painted in dark orange and red.

"Whoa, here he comes! You broads are gonna answer to sir CFW Trick now!" said Underling overjoyed at the situation.

"Great, another weirdo, or wait isn't that…?" IF started to think where she had heard the name.

"Yes, he was one of the enemies we originally faced, back at the Gamindustry Graveyard." Said Nepgear.

"U-Um, so hey, boss… What happened here was like, you know, not my fault, so…" Underling was cut off by the giant thing.

"I'll lap out your excuses later! There are more pressing matters for me to deal with first." Said Trick.

"Yeah, totally. You're gonna clobber these idiots, right?" asked Underling a little afraid.

"Haggard fiends! How dare you raise your wrinkly hands against these poor, defenseless cutie pies?!" Raored Trick, apparently referring to Ram and Rom.

"Huh?" Compa was confused.

"Oooh…" Ram groaned in pain.

"Ram!... it hurts!" said Rom on the verge of tears.

"Ahh, my poor little puppies. Let me lick your wounds…" Trick's massive tounge extended and started oozing and licking Rom and Ram.

"Huh?! Eww, gross me out!" protested Ram.

"Yucky! Don't!" added Rom.

"What the hell are you doing, you psycho!?" IF was shocked.

"You disgusting abomination! If you don't put those girls down, right now, you will be terminated!" yelled Lelouch who was starting to get his gears grinded at the situation.

"Yeah, boss! That's really frickin weird!" strangely agreed Underling.

"But this is how you clean and heal wounds, is it not? *Slurp, slurp*" Trick continued to lick the girls.

"That's it! I've had enough of you! Tachyon Drive!" Lelouch yelled out as a dark red aura started to emit from his body.

He dashed towards Trick, at speeds he thought he was not capable of, and kicked the thing sending it flying a few feet away, dropping Rom and Ram. (Oh, the irony. Lelouch doing his first Spinzaku move XD.)

"How dare you! Separating me from my cuties!" yelled Trick in anger.

"Thank you Mister Lelouch." Said Rom.

"Yeah, but if you could do this why not do it sooner?" asked Ram confused while trying to get the slime off of herself.

"Well, you see I wasn't aware I could do this either." Said Lelouch intrigued by his new skill.

"Boss, you actually DID recover their health!" said Underling.

"Yes, well, It's unfair to fight at a clear advantage. But even at full strength, they are no match for me!" said Trick.

"P-Please stay on your guard! He is clearly unique and rather deluded, but he looks strong!" Said Nepgear worried.

"Playtime is over! Now I shall show my prowess to both my cutie pies and you old hags!" Trick said then looked at Lelouch angrily. "I'll get you back for that kick!"

"Bring it, you braindead beast!" Lelouch said pulling out his sword, the aura glowing around his body transferred to it as well.

Trick extended his tongue at lightning speeds, but with his new boost, Lelouch managed to evade it. The boy then raised his sword.

"My turn. Void Sever!" he slashed his sword at Trick. Moments later a huge cut appeared in the direction he had slashed.

"Grrrh! This is nothing!" said Trick angered.

He swiped with his tongue at Lelouch again, only this time the aura around Lelouch disappeared and the boy was sent flying unable to dodge the attack.

The three Candidates transformed and went to help him. They engaged Trick in a fight. He hurled off Nepgear, but was clearly holding back against Rom and Ram. The two girls noticed that and performed a combo of ice and wind magic, sending Trick flying back.

"Wh-What?!" Trick said in surprise of their strength.

"No way! Boss, what gives?" asked Underling shocked.

"*Pant, pant* I'm gonna rip that tongue right off of your face, you pervert!" said Ram angrily.

"No mercy…" added Rom.

"Ahh, as I feared. I cannot do my worst against such cuties. But this was fun. Till next time!" said Trick as he began to leave with some teleporting magic.

"Hey! Wait for me boss!" said Underling as she reached into the teleportation magic and was gone as well.

"Hey, no running! Ughh!" said Ram frustrated.

"That was a difficult opponent." Said 5pb.

"Yeah, he was difficult to deal with in more ways than one." Replied IF relieved that Trick was gone.

Lelouch got up and dusted his coat off. Now he was seriously thinking of improving his physical stats.

"I just want to know if you two are ok, Rom and Ram." Said Nepgear.

"Uh- huh… I can walk." Replied Rom.

"Goodie! The Sharicite worked!" Compa said happily.

"Sorry… I caused a lot of trouble…" apologized Rom.

"You didn't do it. It's all that pervert's fault!" said Ram.

Lelouch joined the group.

"Yes, no one is going to hold what happened against you." He said.

"With that over, let's get back to the Basilicom. I bet the oracle is beside herself with worry." IF said.

"Okay." Replied Rom.

They returned to the Basilicom to give Mina the good news.

"You're safe! Oh, thank heavens!" said Mina as she hugged Rom and Ram.

"Sorry." Apologized Rom.

"All's well that ends well. We're all done here." Said If.

"Words cannot express my gratitude." Said Mina.

"There's no need. But about the deal we made…" reminded her Nepgear. "Will you let Rom and Ram come with us?"

"About that… I'm still hesitant… they're still quite young." Mina said. "And they've proven to be nothing but a handful for all of you."

"Not our fault! The bad guys were taking all our Shares!" tried to protest Ram with a childish lie. "Besides, It's me and Rom's choice."

"Uh- huh." Rom added happily.

"Your choice, huh?" Lelouch crossed his arms looking at the little girls with a smile.

"We wanna make sure to beat up that gross perv with our own two hands!" replied Ram. "He brainwashed Rom! And licked us like a doggy! We aren't gonna forgive that, ever!"

"How scary." Lelouch said patting Ram on the head.

"L-licked you?" asked Mina shocked to hear those words.

"Please don't ask." Said 5pb.

"Miss Nepgear and her friends helped us again. I wanna help them this time." Said Rom.

"Aww, Rom…" Nepgear was mellowing.

"Uh, maybe I could help her a little. But just a teeny- tiny bit though." Said Ram with a smile on her face.

"I see. Then you both have made up your minds about this." Said Mina.

"Yeah!" said Ram.

"Uh- huh!" added Rom.

"Then I can do nothing to stop you. Please take care of them as if they were your own Nepgear." Said Mina smiling towards Nepgear.

"Okay, I will. They'll be a huge help, I know it!" said Nepgear.

"We can do more than help, duh! Leave the magic stuff to us, right Rom?" stated Ram.

"I'll… do my best." Said Rom.

With that the group was on its way back to Planeptune, when on the way Nepgear received a phone call.

"Hello, Nepgear speaking." The girl said.

"Oh, listen to this, Histoire! Rom and Ram have decided to come with us and help out!" Nepgear said happily.

"How fortuitous. I can scarcely imagine what it took for those kids to accept your proposal." Came the voice of Kei.

"Wait… But my caller ID said… is this Kei?" Nepgear asked confused.

"Correct. It brings a professional smile to my face to know that you remember my voice." Replied Kei.

"But, wait, why are you calling from Histoire's phone? I'm really confused right now." Said Nepgear.

"I had a few meetings to attend, so I've been staying in the Basilicom here in Planeptune." Said Kei. "Enough about me. There is an urgent matter regarding Uni that I must relay to you."

"Did something happen to her?" asked Nepgear.

"In a sense. She's gone missing." Said Kei. "I asked her to oversee the nation in my absence, but it appears she got involved in some incident."

"That sounds serious. Do you know if Uni's okay?" asked Nepgear.

"Unfortunately, no. I can assume with confidence that she is unharmed, though." Kei replied. "I cannot abandon my duties here, so I wanted to call and ask for your help in locating Uni."

"Okay, we'll head straight to Lastation." With those words Nepgear closed the phone.

The others were listening on the whole conversation while they were walking.

"That's the situation, everyone. We've got to find Uni!" said Nepgear.

"Sure, lead the charge." Joked Lelouch.

"That's fine I guess. But I'm pretty sure I warned you not to agree on something before asking everyone." Said IF to Nepgear.

"Huh? Well, I guess I got caught up in the flow of things." Said Nepgear in her defense.

"Ge- Ge is starting to act more like Nep- Nep, huh?" said Compa.

"Um… Let's go and find Uni, no time to waste!" issued out the orders Nepgear, after mustering the courage to do so.

* * *

 **Whew, finally done with this chapter. I think that altering Lelouch's character like this could be thought of as character development? Anyway don't expect him to bow down to the other CFWs, but don't expect anything grand from the beginning either. With that out of the way, thank you for reading and as always have a nice day :D!**


	9. A matter of pride

**Ok, so before we begin guys, i just want to mention that i'm not aware of, if there's a way to reply to guest reviews, so if anyone knows how, please inform me. Until then i apologize for not answering questions from said reviews. Now, please enjoy.**

Chapter 9: A matter of pride

When they arrived in Lastation, the group started to ask around for information concerning Uni's disappearance. They finally stumbled on some information, when a soldier told them that Uni had agreed to fight a large inhumane figure in an old factory and hasn't returned since. The party made their way towards the factory in question. Inside they found someone collapsed on the ground.

"Look, someone's lying there!" said Red pointing in the direction of the person in question.

"Is that Uni?" said Nepgear as she rushed over and confirmed her suspicions.

"Hey, are you ok?" Ram asked Uni, who was on the ground.

"Did she really lose?" asked Rom too.

"She's unconscious, but her vital signs are stable. It's time for nurse Compa's healing magic!" Said Compa after checking her.

"Uni…" Nepgear was worried.

"Urrrgh…" Uni started to open her eyes.

"Can you hear me, Uni? Where does it hurt?" started to waltz Nepgear.

"Nepgear?... What are you doing here? Ow, ow, ow…" Uni started to be in pain from all the bruises she had.

Lelouch and IF helped her get up.

"N-No need to help me. I'm just fine… This is nothing… Owwww…" Uni continued to be in pain, clearly not capable of standing on her own.

Lelouch held the girl, acting like a support, preventing her from collapsing on the ground.

"Quit acting tough. Who were you fighting? It's hard to imagine somebody taking you down." asked IF.

"Take me down? This is part of my feint strategy! Seriously, I was only acting weak, that's all!" Uni tried to lie her way out.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Who did you say you were fighting?" asked again IF.

"I didn't. Someone called CFW Brave. For being a member of ASIC, he was actually pretty chivalrous." Replied Uni.

"Chivalry from a crime syndicate? I highly doubt that." Said Lelouch.

"CFW Brave? Why does that name sound familiar?" said Red confused.

"That 'CFW' bit is the same as that dumb perv from Lowee." Said Ram.

"Right, I think it was CFW Trick. I wonder why they use the same acronyms…" 5pb was curious.

"Did you beat that Trick person?" asked Uni nervous.

"Yes, barely. Everyone else helped me, too." Answered Nepgear.

"I see…" Uni became disappointed in herself.

Lelouch noticed that.

"You should get lots of sleep." Said Compa to the girl.

"…." Uni was getting more depressed.

"Yes, let's get back to the city." Added Lelouch, as he and Nepgear were helping Uni to move along with the rest.

After leaving the girl to recover in the Basilicom, Nepgear and co went outside.

"Uni seems really depressed…" said Nepgear worried.

"She's got a lot of pride. The idea of losing must not sit well with her at all." Said IF.

"I kind of understand where she's coming from. I mean, if I were to be left in such a condition after a fight, and be shown mercy as a sign of inferiority, I'd be pretty down, too." Said Lelouch confirming the situation.

"I can relate… I felt the same way, when I lost back then…" said Nepgear, bad memories flowing to her.

"What a stupid baby. Crying just because she lost at something." Said Ram, completely changing the mood.

"But… I'd be sad, too." Said Rom.

"It's okay for you, Rom. Besides, as long as we're together, we're not ever gonna lose." Quickly corrected herself Ram.

"It'd be great if that childish optimism would rub off on some other people here." Said IF looking at Lelouch and Nepgear.

"I prefer pragmatism, thank you." Replied Lelouch.

"Hey, Red alert, you guys!" started to panic Red.

"Uh- oh, uh- oh, uh- oh!" panicked Compa as well, who had gone to check on the injured girl.

"What's going on?" asked Lelouch.

"Uni… she's gone! She took off all of my cute bandages and vanished!" stated Compa.

"The part about the bandages is ok, but is she stupid?" asked Lelouch already aware of where the girl in question had gone.

"Why would she do that?" asked Nepgear shocked.

"What a handful. She couldn't have gotten far with her wounds. Let's split up and search for her." Said IF.

In a dungeon somewhere.

"What am I doing?" asked herself Uni.

"What have I been doing all this time? I couldn't beat that one opponent…" tears started to form in her eyes.

"There she is!" came Lelouch's voice, as he and Nepgear ran up to the girl.

"Nepgear… and Lelouch." Said Uni still sad.

"We're all worried about you. Please come back with us." Said Nepgear.

"I didn't ask you to worry about me. Just leave me alone." Said Uni.

"Don't be like that, how couldn't we be worried?" said Nepgear.

"It doesn't even matter if I'm here or not. Nobody would bat an eye if I vanished for good." Replied Uni talking herself down.

"I probably cannot put myself in your shoes, but remember what I told you a while back?" Lelouch asked the girl.

"That I'm not wrong, but instead the world around me?" said Uni confused.

"Yes. Right now you're allowing yourself to be crushed by the world. Is that what you want, that there be no meaning to your existence?" asked her Lelouch.

"Of course not! Who would want something like that!" Uni started to cry. "But I can't do anything about it! I lost and can't do anything to rescue my sister!"

"Yes, that is so." Lelouch said, receiving a shocked gaze from both girls.

The fact, that he said something so rude to a struggling person, made Nepgear snap and the boy received a slap across the face.

"Why would you say such a thing, to her!" said Nepgear as she too started to well up in tears.

Recovering from the unexpected outburst of Nepgear, Lelouch continued.

"Because that is the truth, and if she doesn't have the will to change her situation, then she is better off dead. Something without a point is meaningless, and if there's no meaning, why bother continuing." Lelouch finished.

Uni was so shocked of what she was hearing that she didn't even know what to do.

"With that said, however." Lelouch began again. "There is always a way to find a meaning in something."

He walked over to Uni, who was looking at him with wide eyes filled with tears.

"My question to you is this. Will you continue forward, or will you allow yourself to be left behind?" Lelouch said looking at the girl seriously.

Uni mustered some courage and answered.

"I will not be left behind! I will become stronger!" yelled the girl to him.

Lelouch smiled.

"Good. That's all I wanted to hear." He said sotly.

Nepgear then came up to Uni.

"Uni, if we both work together we can defeat ASIC and rescue our sisters!" she said.

"How are you sure of that?" asked Uni.

"Because you and I are very alike. I too miss my sister, that's why I'm trying to rescue her!" said Nepgear with tears in her eyes. "We are friends, right? Then we should be helping each other!"

"Nepgear…" Uni was shocked. "You called me… your friend…"

"Of course I did. We're both CPU Candidates, so it's only natural for us to become friends." Nepgear said with a smile.

"Nepgear…" Uni smiled too, when suddenly a voice came.

"And yet, that wish shall never come to fruition." Said a large robot, who looked like something between a power rangers megazord and a gundam.

"Huh? Who's there?" asked Nepgear.

The robot showed himself before the trio.

"It's you… CFW Brave!" said Uni regaining her composure.

"The one that defeated you…" Nepgear began to be anxious.

"Fortune smiles upon me. Finding two CPU Candidates in one fell swoop here." Said Brave turning to Lelouch. "Although I'm not aware of your position amongst them."

"Lelouch, a random person helping out CPUs cause of his own good will." Said Lelouch sarcastically, as he was unsure if they could take on the enemy before them.

"I take no joy in senseless killing. Cease your actions against ASIC and you may all leave here alive." Said Brave.

"We will not! We will fight ASIC and rescue or sisters!" proclaimed Nepgear full of passion.

"I believe that the outcome of our duel had already been decided." Brave said to Uni. "You know well my strength."

"W-Well…" Uni was nervous.

"Don't let him get to you, Uni! We're here with you." Assured her Nepgear. "If we fight together we can defeat him."

"Together… You're right. I… No, we can't lose. We'll never lose to someone like you ever again!" Uni said with newfound courage.

"Indeed. Now, prepare yourself!" said Lelouch to the robot.

"So be it, but remember you're the ones who forced my hand." Said Brave taking out his sword.

The two girls transformed into HDD. Lelouch decided to follow suite with his new skill.

"Tachyon Drive!" as he said that the red aura appeared around him.

He took out his sword, and alongside Nepgear dashed towards Brave.

The three locked swords with each other, but Brave pushed the two back.

"MPBL Cannon!" yelled Nepgear firing off a huge blast from her gun blade.

Brave shrugged off the damage.

"Good, but not enough." He encouraged.

"Then how about this! Void Rupture!" Lelouch slashed with his sword, the red aura amplifying the technique.

Brave was pushed back a little.

"Not bad." He complimented.

He then slashed at the group with his sword creating flames that hurled Nepgear and Lelouch back, while Uni was in the back arranging her firing position.

"Take this! EX Multi Buster!" she fired off a huge energy stream from her gun.

Nepgear fired off with her gun blade again.

Lelouch in turn took out his pistol.

"Dark Burst!" he yelled as the pistol, shot a blast of dark reddish purple energy.

The attack, however being amplified, caused the pistol to explode, sending Lelouch flying back and leaving only the blast it fired off.

The three energy streams collided into Brave sending him on the ground.

"Fascinating. Such a boon in power with only two allies." Brave was intrigued.

"I knew we could do it! Yay!" said Nepgear happy that they had won.

"We won… We really did it…" Uni couldn't believe it at first, but became extremely happy afterwards.

"Yeah… God damn it, it stings!" Lelouch said getting up, feeling the pain from the hand in which the pistol exploded.

"Hahaha! What a delightful match! Very well. To honor your efforts, I will leave here in peace." Said Brave joyful at the experience, as he was about to leave. "But when we next meet do not expect such leniency. Prepare your strength and will!"

With that he left.

"We're so awesome, Uni!" Nepgear was jumping with joy.

"Y-yeah, thanks… It's because of you guys, so…" Uni said.

"Aw, stop being a downer already. You were super tough and cool! We won because of you." Nepgear congratulated her.

Lelouch didn't mind being left out of the conversation, as he was more concerned to get his hand treated.

"Of course, you were a big help too, Lelouch!" said Nepgear smiling at the boy. "Also, sorry for hitting you."

"No need for apologies. I simply do things my way." Said Lelouch, now at ease from the pain.

He wondered if it was because he had bandaged it with some spare cloth he had on him. "Maybe the wound wasn't so bad" he thought.

"Nepgear… Would you mind if I… if I came with you?" asked Uni.

"Really, you mean it? Yay! Of course you can come!" said Nepgear overjoyed.

"Stop acting so happy. Seeing you makes me realize how stupid I was acting before." Uni said, as she then turned to Lelouch. "Thank you for the encouragement. Also sorry for yelling at you."

"It doesn't really matter to me. I told you remember? I don't take things to heart." Said Lelouch smiling at the girl.

"Before we head back, don't you dare tell anyone about what happened here!" Uni said to her two companions.

"No worries your secret's safe with me." Said Nepgear.

"Hmph, no promises." Joked Lelouch after which he received a fist to the shoulder by Uni. "Fine, I promise not to tell to any living being."

"I guess I'll take it." Said Uni.

"We should hurry back, ok? Everyone's still looking for you." Nepgear said to Uni.

"Yeah, let's go." She said.

With that the trio left to reunite with the rest of the party.

"She's actually coming along, right?" asked IF not believing the situation,

"It looks like you desperately need my help, so yeah. I mean, who knows when you'd save my sister otherwise." Uni started to gloat.

"Great, as if Lelouch's high self-esteem wasn't enough for us." Groaned IF.

"And what about my self-esteem is bothering you?" came the voice of Lelouch, as he joined the group.

He had separated from the two girls on their way back, as he wanted to go and purchase a new firearm. This time he had bought a state of the art techy revolver. He had also thought about getting a better sword, but decided that he will change it when it is no longer usable.

Compa then noticed his bandaged hand.

"Huh, what happened Lu- Lu?" asked him Compa.

"Nothing really, I just scraped myself." Lied Lelouch.

"Hmm, let me see." Said Compa removing the bandages.

"Huh? Where did you scrape yourself? I don't see anything wrong with your hand." Said Compa confused.

"It was a small wound, I just bandaged it to keep the blood from flowing out." Continued to lie Lelouch, though he was intrigued by his fast recovery.

In the mean-time Rom and Ram were making friends with Uni.

"It's sure gotten crowded." Said IF.

"That, it has." Confirmed Lelouch at the sheer number of people they were now.

"It was just Iffy and me at first, but look at all of Ge- Ge's friends now. Of course you also fit in that space Lu- Lu." Said Compa.

"Do I now." Said Lelouch with a smirk.

"This time, I'm sure. I promise we'll save our sisters!" proclaimed Nepgear as the group headed back to Planeptune.

* * *

 **About the questions and theories you guys might have made up until now, concerning Lelouch's backstory, I'm gonna say this: You'll just have to wait and see :D! I assure you I will explore Lelouch's backstory thoroughly as it is a key plot point. So no worries you guys i'll do my best, but until then it's nice to have some mystery don't you think? Anyway, thank you for reading and taking interest in the story, have a nice day :)!**


	10. Reunion through struggle

Chapter 10: Reunion through struggle

The group was in the Planeptune Basilicom, going over their plan once more.

"It appears that everyone has gathered together." Said Histoire.

"Yes! Nepgear, Uni, Rom and Ram reporting for duty!" Replied Nepgear hyped.

"And for whatever reason, all of us oracles are here, as well." Said Chika.

"Just goes to show how incompetent you are at your work." Thought Lelouch.

"Have Rom and Ram been good girls? I hope they haven't been causing your hair to turn grey Nepgear." Mina said.

"We're awesome of course!" said Ram a little nervous.

"We've been good." Added Rom.

"Yes, when we were taking a break or something we always had Lelouch look after them." Said Nepgear to reassure Mina.

"I hope the girls haven't caused you much trouble." Said Mina bowing her head slightly to Lelouch.

"It's nothing really." Said the boy, nonchalantly as ever.

"They've never acted unruly and have listened to everything they were asked of. You've taught them well, so there is no need for you to worry." He finished.

"Yeah!" said Ram.

"And Mister Lelouch is always nice to us, too." Added Rom.

"That is good to hear." Said Mina with a smile.

"I'm curious to know why all the oracles are here, myself." Said IF.

"Quite the cold greeting, despite our intent to propose a selfless offer." Said Kei.

"Allow me to explain. Kei has been able to develop the device that is able to amplify the power of Sharicite." Explained Histoire. "That is why she had arrived before the other oracles, to help set up the required equipment."

"So this machine or whatever was made from the stuff we gathered for you before?" asked Red.

"Yes. We planned for Lastation to act independently, but with how things stand, that option is gone." Said Kei.

"Hmph. I guess even you have your weaknesses." Said Lelouch, satisfied that he could deepen his information on Kei's persona, since he found her the most troubling one out of the bunch, and everything he could use against her was to his benefit.

"It would almost seem rude to do now, considering how our CPU Candidate seems to have made friends with you all." Said Kei ignoring his comment.

"Almost, huh?" said IF, salty.

"We're not friends or anything! I'm… I'm just helping them out because they begged!" said Uni, trying to cover things up.

"Heehee! Everyone's so silly! Seeing it makes me one happy Compa!" said Compa happy, after which she received a stare from Lelouch.

"My bad, Lu- Lu's the only one that's not silly." She corrected herself, catching the memo.

"The Sharicite will be ready come tomorrow morning. Prepare to return to Gamindustri Graveyard." Said Histoire. "We have done all that we can. Failure is not an option."

"And it never will be." Added Lelouch, who was starting to get annoyed at this whole gathering.

"But of course, I have faith that our CPU recovery mission will be a success." Histoire finished happily.

"Try not to pile too much pressure, Histoire. We don't want this girl to buckle under the weight." Said IF, looking at Nepgear.

"No, I can handle it. I've made it my duty to save my sister after all!" Nepgear said with a courage filled voice.

Lelouch then thought for a second, how much Nepgear had changed ever since they first sought out on their journey. He felt some type of pride in that, otherwise he would have to feel the disappointment in not having gained any new information about himself.

"With me helping them, what else could it be other than success?" said Uni full of herself.

"Let's be totally awesome out there, okay, Rom?" said Ram to her twin sister.

"Okay!" she replied.

"How wonderful to see the CPU Candidates grow and mature like this." Said Histoire happy at the sight. "Have a good night's rest all of you."

Everybody was leaving when Histoire came up to Lelouch.

"Lelouch are you free to talk for a moment?" the oracle asked him.

"Hmm? I don't have any important matters to attend to, so my answer would have to be yes." Answered the boy.

After entering Histoire's office, the two sat down on a sofa across one another.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Lelouch, interested at the situation.

"Well, to be honest, I wanted to hear your opinion on the four Candidates." Said Histoire.

"Well, I guess I'll start with Nepgear." Said Lelouch, taking a breath before he began his summarization.

"She has grown immensely on this journey and I have no doubt that she'd make a great CPU one day. Uni's a little too taxing on herself, always trying to live up to other's expectations, her only bad quality is her somewhat inability to be honest with herself, other than that my assessment of her would be a prime choice for a new CPU. As for the twins… I guess they are typical children. They may not be much now, but seeing as they are still growing, they are full of potential, it's only a matter of bringing that potential out." He said finishing his statement.

"I see. I'm glad that you took your time to tell me this." Replied Histoire.

"It wasn't a problem, though I am intrigued as to why did you want my opinion on the matter." Asked her Lelouch.

"W-Well, I wasn't sure if asking any of the girls would bring me any results, so I thought that you were the best choice." Said Histoire a little nervous.

"That so? Well then, you are a better judge of character than I made you out to be. You have my compliments." Lelouch said.

"Now then, if you excuse me, I shall take my leave." Said the boy as he bowed his head and left the office.

"I almost slipped up." Said Histoire a huge sigh of relief leaving her chest.

"Oh, if only I didn't have to keep the truth from him." Histoire was saddened.

"Are you still concerned about him?" came a voice.

It was the mascot of Lastation, as it and the rest appeared before Histoire.

"Yes, I am." Replied Histoire.

"The seal is still active right? So there's no need to worry." Said the Planeptune Mascot.

"Indeed, though I am concerned about allowing him to go back to that place." Said the Mascot of Leanbox.

"Well, there is no point in worrying over it. Right now our priority is the rescue of the CPUs." Added The Mascot of Lowee.

"Yes, you're right. Right now the present takes priority over the past." Said Histoire.

"Everything is going to be fine, I'm sure of it." Said the Planeptune mascot.

"The state of Gamindustri and… It's all my fault…" said Histoire further sadden. "All because I was blind to what was happening around me."

"The blame shouldn't land on anyone, not even him." Said the Mascot of Lastation.

"I guess you're right. The thing I'm most afraid of is allowing history to repeat." Admitted Histoire.

"At first I thought that the CPU Candidates were nothing but fakes, trying to imitate her. Later, however, after witnessing their actions, I came to the conclusion that maybe they can change him." Said Lowee's mascot.

"If not the hope lies in the CPUs captive at the moment." Added Leanbox's mascot.

"All we have to do is have faith and believe in them." Said Planeptune's mascot. "You should do the same, Histoire."

"My faith…" said Histoire unsure of herself.

"Don't allow the mistakes from the past to distract you. We are here now and that makes everything worth it." Said Lastation's mascot.

"Maybe in our eyes it does, but…" Histoire fell silent.

"The boy is himself right now. Devoid of all the pain and suffering, you did the right choice." Assured her the Mascot of Leanbox.

"All of you are right. I will not let my own doubts get in the way. Thank you." Histoire said as the four Mascots disappeared.

Lelouch was going to his room when he was bumped into by Nepgear, who was going somewhere with Uni.

"Sorry, Lelouch." Apologized Nepgear. "We are going to get something to eat, want to come with us?"

"Sure, I guess." Replied the boy.

They sat down on a table. The two girls got some sweets from the fridge and Lelouch made himself tea. He removed his coat and hanged it on the chair on which he sat, staying in his grey shirt and jeans. He started to sip from his tea when the two girls began a conversation.

"Hey, Lelouch, I was wondering." Started Uni. "Why are you going around with us to help save our sisters?"

"Well, to be honest with you, I truly don't see anything else worth to do. I've noticed that I've started to think my lack of memory to be a minor inconvenience." Said Lelouch.

"Yes, that's the spirit. Even if you don't remember things about yourself, you can always begin anew." Said Nepgear encouragingly.

"Maybe you're right. But still I will continue to try, as my life right now, as enjoyable as it is, I cannot but feel it to be a lie." Said Lelouch deep in thought.

"Well, I hope you remember everything." Said Uni.

"Thank you, though, my amnesia aside, I was more curious as to how we will handle the situation tomorrow." Said Lelouch.

"Simple, we will go in there, kick their butts, rescue our sisters and go home!" said Uni fired up.

"Yeah, I think that we only need to believe in ourselves." Agreed Nepgear.

"You two… if you were my younger siblings I'd be very proud of you, though I'm sure your sisters are." Smiled Lelouch at the two girls.

"You know I don't get you. Sometimes you are cold towards others and sometimes you act like you consider them family. Which is the real you?" asked Uni.

"Neither, probably." Answered Lelouch with a smile.

"Nonsense, it's obviously both, he's just acting like you are Uni." Said Nepgear, at which Lelouch almost coughed in his tea and Uni gave her a stare.

"What do you mean like me?!" she asked furious.

"Well, you too sometimes act nice and mean." Nepgear explained.

"You idiot, I'm always nice!" Uni said angered.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you, but I advise you to go and get a good rest. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day for you." Lelouch said as he got up and started to leave to get some sleep.

"Good night, Lelouch." Said Nepgear smiling at the boy.

"Good night." Said Uni.

Lelouch slightly raised his hand in acknowledgement and went to get some sleep.

On the next day everyone was gathered in the hall.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Histoire.

"YES! I'm so ready that I couldn't be more ready even if I stopped trying to be ready so let's GO!" Nepgear fired off.

"Nepgear, chill out. You're embarrassing yourself." Stopped her Uni.

"Everything will go smoothly. I believe that you all will make this a complete success." Said histoire.

"Here is the Sharicite we prepared from the collected Shares between all of you." Said Histoire, as she gave Nepgear the crystal.

"It's bigger than my face!" exclaimed Ram.

"Pretty…" added Rom.

"If we have this many Shares, then…" IF started.

"Yep. We can save Nep- Nep and the other CPUs definitely!" Finished Compa.

"I will act as the catalyst for the teleportation device and send you to the Gamindustri Graveyard." Histoire said. "Nothing but my voice can penetrate the borders of that land, giving me no physical means to support you."

"Well, it doesn't really matter. Your role is to act as our guide in that place, is it not?" asked Lelouch.

"Yes, that is correct." Answered Histoire.

"Who cares about that! I'm more excited to meet my CPU wifeys!" said Red.

"Now, you girls, be sure to rescue my darling Vert before anyone else. This is a direct order!" Chika said.

"Uni. Come back safe with Noire." Said Kei.

"I pray for your success." Mina said.

"Thanks, everyone. Well, here we go!" Said Nepgear, as she and the rest of the party were teleported to the Gamindustri Graveyard.

"Respond if you have all managed to teleport there safely." Said Histoire.

"Yes. All accounted for." Replied Nepgear.

"This place is scary…" Rom was nervous.

"Be brave, Rom. Gimme your hand." Ram took the hand of her twin sister in order to calm her.

"My sister's in here somewhere…" Uni was pondering.

"Quite the grimm place, even for my tastes. Now the question is, what was I doing here, for those girls to find me?" Lelouch thought to himself.

"C'mon, enough chatting, Let's go to where we last found the CPUs okay, Gear?" IF said.

"You remember where it was?" asked Lelouch surprised.

"Yep. This is exactly where we teleported in, last time too." Answered Compa.

"We ran for our lives back then, so it stings my pride to talk about how we know where we are going." Said IF.

In the graveyard, the rescue team was going to meet their opposition.

"Graaah! Boring! So boring! I want to destroy something!" yelled a giant black and neon blue robot.

"Jeez! E-er, please calm down Sir CFW Judge, sir!" pleaded Underling, trying not get killed.

"Watch where you swing that thing! I was almost crushed flat, chu!" yelled the rat, trying to get away from the halberd wielding maniac.

"I'm going to die from boredom! Hey, you! Let's fight!" Judge said to Underling and the rat.

"N-No way, boss! I wouldn't last a second!" Underling continued to plead.

"Underlings like you are supposed to accept the boss's desire to vent his stress with your body, chu!" said the rat, trying to sell of his partner. (WOW, this conversation took a bad turn. It's even worse if you start to think about what they are saying out of context. Glad I rated the story T)

"Shut it, rat! You're just pushing your work onto me. Besides being a punching bag ain't work at all!" Underling complained.

"Hrrrrr… Enough talking… I'll just destroy you both!" Yelled Judge, as he swung his halberd at them.

"H-Hang on there, boss! You just went from fighting us to outright murder!" Underling tried to protest.

"Ughhh… Placating CFW Judge is the worst. I'd rather be pushing papers or buying someone's coffee…" Groaned the rat.

"Look, over there! It's… wait are they arguing?" asked Nepgear who caught sight of the trio.

"Mister Mouse and Miss Underling are getting slapped silly." Said Compa with a joyful smile.

"Yeah, more like dead in a few moments." Corrected her Lelouch.

"Gah! Y-You broads! Thank goodness you got here so fast… H-Hurry up and fight my boss!" Underling said overjoyed, that she no longer would have to be on the receiving end of the halberd.

"My guardian angel Compa is back! I knew you'd save me, chu!" said the rat after barely avoiding another blow from the CFW.

"Now, isn't this a warm welcome." Said Lelouch with a smirk.

"Doesn't make me happy, though. Not we're obligated to help them or anything." Complained IF.

"But, we'll probably have to beat up that big guy, eventually." Said Red.

"Can we do it?" asked Nepgear unsure of herself.

"Hey. Why are you doubting us now? This is no time to get cold feet!" said Uni.

"Well he's the one I lost to back then so…" Nepgear was nervous.

"*Sigh* Was I with you back then? No. So there you have it." Said Uni.

"Miss Nepgear… we'll win." Assured her Rom.

"Yeah, we're all gonna fight this time, so we can't lose!" said Ram.

Nepgear received encouragement from everyone except Lelouch, who was busy thinking of a sure way to beat the robot. He was then taken back to reality as he received a punch in the shoulder from IF.

"C'mon, you got to encourage her, too." IF said.

"*Sigh*." Lelouch turned to Nepgear and smiled. "If I have to be honest, you're self-doubting has started to get on my nerves. You've long outlived it."

He then received a smack on the arm from IF, who was clearly not satisfied with his words of inspiration. The group laughed it off.

"Thank you, everyone." Said Nepgear.

"They are ready." Came the voice of Lowee's Mascot.

"Then the time has come for us to give you our true powers." Said the mascot of Lastation.

"We pray for your success." Said Leanbox's mascot.

"Take it… Our power…" finished Planeptune's Mascot, as a light shone over Nepgear.

When the light diminished Nepgear was standing there in her HDD, though different. Her armor was black and violet. Lelouch received a headache from the display. But it quickly faded away.

"Wow, I can feel it warming me from the inside out. Thank you very much Mascots." Said Nepgear. "I can do it. I can win!"

"Yo, mind speeding up your dumb narrative a bit, please?!" asked Underling who was still running around for her life.

"Sir CFW Judge, we brough you some new opponents! All of the CPU Candidates are here, chu!" the rat tried to divert the lunatic's attention.

"Whaaaat?! CPU Candidates?! Ooooh, it's the weak little girl that ran from me!" said Judge recognizing Nepgear. "Hahahahaha! I haven't forgotten what you did to my eyes back then! You're already dead!"

As he said that he swung his giant halberd at them. Nepgear and co dodged out of the way. She and the rest of the CPU Candidates were now in HDD.

"You! Who are you? You seem familiar, somehow." Said Judge noticing Lelouch.

"The name is Lelouch, not like you'll need to make the effort to remember it. Tachyon Drive!" Lelouch said, the red aura appeaing around him.

"Yes, that's right, because you'll be dead!" Yelled Judge as he swung again, this time at Lelouch.

The boy blocked with his sword, only for it to not withstand the pressure from the two forces colliding and shattered. Lelouch dodged the rest of the attacks.

"Damn!" he said, at the loss of one of his weapons, taking out his new revolver.

Then Nepgear charged Judge. He was pushed back a little and that made him really angry.

"I'll kill you!" he yelled.

"MPBL fire!" said Nepgear firing off a huge blast from her gun blade.

"EX Multi cannon!" Uni followed suite.

"Ice coffin!" Rom and Ram cast ice magic on the robot.

"Now then, this time it should work." Said Lelouch raising his revolver and charging it with the red aura. "Dark Burst!"

The gun fired off the stream of reddish purple energy at Judge. Lelouch was pleased with his purchase, as this time the gun hadn't blown up in his arm.

Judge was sent to the ground from all the damage he took.

"I-Impossible… I… lost?" said Judge not believing the situation.

"No! Not possible… Not possi- Graaaaah!" the robot exploded.

"N-No way… they blew up Judge?!" said Underling terrified.

"That's crazy, chu… Let's get outta here…" said the rat as he and Underling fled the scene.

"We did it… We won! Goodness, horay!" said Nepgear overjoyed.

"Of course we did. What kind of idiot loses to the same opponent twice?" said IF.

"You were so cool out there! Last time we ran away, but this time we were like POW!' said Compa.

"Celebrations later, let's complete our objective." Reminded them Lelouch.

"Right." Said Nepgear, as she took the Sharicite.

Everyone went over to where the CPUs were held. Upon seeing their condition the young CPU Candidates were shocked.

"Noire… you look like you're in so much pain…" said Uni worried.

"Blanc…" Rom was worried too.

"C'mon hurry up and get them out of there!" yelled Ram.

"I'm trying. Wait for me, Neptune…" said Nepgear who was doing her best.

The huge crystal shined and disappeared. The sealing barrier was broken and the CPUs awakened.

"Hmmm?" Neptune opened her eyes.

"I see… a light…" said Noire who was coming to.

"I can… I can move…" said Blanc.

"I feel a warmth…" added Vert.

"Blanc!" the twins started crying and jumped into their sister's arms.

"Ram? And Rom? Did you come to save me?" asked White heart, still dizzy.

The two girls were crying and were hugging their older sister.

"We just reunited after a long time, so how about you stop crying, huh?" consoled them Blanc with a smile on her face.

"U-Um…" Uni was at a loss for words.

"Wow, that took a while. I figured, you'd have tried to come here a little faster, Uni." Said Black Heart.

"I'm sorry, I tried so hard to be strong like you, but I…" Uni was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, don't apologize or anything. I can tell how much stronger you are, thank you for coming." Said Noire.

"*Sniff* Noire…" Uni started to cry, as her sister hugged her.

"Nep Jr…. I feel like it's been a really long time." Said Purple Heart.

"Neptune, is it really you? I was able to save you, right?" asked Nepgear as tears started to flow down her face.

"Yes. You certainly did. You've done well. Good girl." Smiled at her Neptune.

The two sisters embraced.

"Neptune…*sniff, sniff* Neptune!" started to cry Nepgear.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you all alone. We're together now, though. And we always will be, all right?" Said Neptune stroking her sibling's hair.

"This is a nosebleed treasure!" said Red hyped.

"Boo… I wanna talk to Nep- Nep, too." Compa was sad that she didn't get a turn.

"Give them some time alone, Compa. They've got a lot to say, I'm sure." Said IF.

Lelouch took a glance to the side where he saw another CPU with green hair standing alone.

"My… I am so envious of the others. Here I am and with no cute younger sibling to jump into my arms." Sighed Green Heart.

"L-Lady Vert, I'm so happy to see you. Miss Chika is awaiting your safe return." Said 5pb.

"Hmph. Family, huh?" muttered Lelouch, wondering how it actually felt to have one.

"Now then only one thing left to do." Said IF.

"Terminate ASIC, I'm sure?" said Lelouch finishing the girl's thought.

"Exactly." Replied IF.

Unknown to them an evil plot was being brewed, somewhere else.

"The guardian of the graveyard has been vanished, has he?" said CFW Magic.

"Hahaha… How pathetic. He truly was the weakest of us Four Felons!" laughed Trick.

"Indeed. He had long been a disgrace to our cause." Added Brave.

"Ironic, coming from two others, who have been defeated by the very same children." Said Magic.

"But, I didn't lose! I simply could not bear to harm such cuties…" groaned Trick.

"I will admit my defeat. But mark my words, I will soon vindicate myself, by crushing them underfoot!" said Brave.

"I don't really care. Those pests can do nothing to stop the gears that have already begun to turn." Said Magic. "Our only problem is the boy. We should get him on our side while we still have the chance."

"Indeed, I could sense great power, hidden deep within him." Said Brave.

"That brat is nothing compared to our goddess!" said Trick.

"Right now, no. But if allowed to prosper under the enemy he could turn into our biggest threat." Said Magic. "No matter, it's only a matter of time now."

"Our time is nigh." Said Brave.

"All for our goddess, The Deity of Sin…" said Magic.

The mystery around Lelouch deepens, now what will await him and will he be able to move on?

* * *

 **Whew, this chapter took some time but i got it finished. I decided to give some subtle hints about Lelouch's real identity, though i hope not enough to spoil the reveal later on. I just want to get this out of the way. So i'll try to upload till Thursday, but i'll be gone on a vacation for this weekend and there will be three days without any updates. Sorry guys, but i'll take this chance to think everything through and work out all the details, so i can deliver to you the best that i'm capable of. With that said thank you for reading and i hope you have a nice day!**


	11. Of innocence and shadows

**So before we begin I just want to thank you guys for supporting me in this trial. All of you are so helpful to me with your reviews, because I'm interested to hear what other people think. I apologize for the late update, as it took me quite some time to figure out how i wanted this chapter to go, resulting in a couple of rewrites. Anyway this is the final product, i hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 11: Of innocence and shadows

Everyone arrived back safely at the Planeptune Basilicom.

"We're back, you guys!" yelled Neptune.

"Welcome back, all of you." Said Histoire, happy to see everyone return safe and sound.

Then the CPUs started to catch up with their oracles. Lelouch wasn't really interested in this whole reunion, so he was just about to leave when he was stopped.

"Hey, you, the sneaky guy!" said Neptune pointing at him.

"…" Lelouch ignored her and continued to leave.

"Don't ignore me!" she yelled and got in front of him blocking his path.

"I'd appreciate it if you got out of my way." Said Lelouch, starting to get irritated at the girl.

"Why are you being a downer? C'mon let's party and stuff!" she said.

"Ugh. This is a CPU? Honestly, I'm not impressed." Thought Lelouch.

"What's wrong Neptune?" came the voice of Nepgear, as she had noticed her sister's bellowing.

"Well, this guy here was about to leave the party." Said Neptune.

"Huh, why are you leaving Lelouch?" asked Nepgear.

It appeared as though their conversation had gotten the attention of everybody.

"You're leaving? Why?" asked Ram.

"Why Mister Lelouch?" added Rom.

Lelouch ,as things were headed, decided to play the victim.

"I wasn't going to leave. I was just going to the store to get a new sword, that's all." He said, though only the second part of his statement was true.

"Wait a dang minute here! You are not lying by any chance are you?" asked Neptune suspicious.

"Oh, don't worry Neptune, if he said so, why are you suspecting him? C'mon, let's go eat some pudding." Nepgear said with a smile.

"Pudding!" Neptune stood up like an antenna receiving radio frequency and dashed off to the fridge.

Lelouch was about to leave until he was stopped, again.

"My, you don't expect to fool us with that kind of obvious lie, right?" asked him Vert. "First, how about you introduce yourself, considering the fact that you are the only unfamiliar face right now."

"Is it not proper manners to give your name when asking someone for theirs?" sharply remarked Lelouch.

"Oh, heavens, how rude of me. I am Vert CPU of Leanbox." Vert introduced herself.

"Lelouch." He said giving his name.

"Well then Lelouch, why not sit and enjoy a conversation with everyone?" invited him Vert.

"…" Lelouch ignored her and went out, leaving a few shocked faces behind him.

"Can't any of them read the atmosphere?" Lelouch complained in his thoughts.

He then went to the weapon's store. He took out a large sum from his gambling profits and gave it to the shopkeeper, placing his order for a state- of the art longsword. The shopkeeper told him that the sword would be ready in two days. With that Lelouch bid him farewell and was on his way. He had some free time until everyone had settled down and had gotten idle talks out of the way, so he decided to make a change of appearance.

The boy went inside a clothing shop and bought himself a white shirt, a grey long trench coat with black linings. With his appearance out of the way, he decided that he had been wondering around for a good amount of time and decided to return to the Basilicom.

Upon arrival he was greeted by sour faces, which he ignored, as he was more focused on dealing with the curious ones. Everyone was in a living room.

"So let's introduce ourselves! I am Neptune, the glorious main character!" said Neptune to the boy.

"The name's Noire, you better remember it." Noire said.

"Blanc, nice to meet you." Said Blanc.

"I believe we didn't start out in a good way. Once again my name is Vert." said Vert, smiling.

"My name is Lelouch. Just a traveler." He said bowing slightly.

"Oh, he is a modest one! C'mon don't be shy! The girls told us how impressive you are." Said Neptune trying to brighten the boy's mood.

"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" asked Lelouch with a sigh.

"Nope, you can't be acting all emo and stuff. It will make your pretty face go to waste." Joked Neptune.

"Ignore her. It will make your life easier." Said Noire.

Lelouch nodded.

"Hey, no fair! Why're you turning him against me?" started to whine Neptune and turned to Lelouch. "C'mon, don't be a drag. Let's be friends."

"*Sigh* If I say yes will you go bother someone else?" asked Lelouch.

"Yep." Quickly answered Nep.

"Fine then, I don't see why, but since you want to be friends with me so badly, I'll just accept." Said Lelouch.

"Hahaha!" Neptune started to laugh, which Lelouch didn't take kindly to. "You're, like, almost a better tsundere than Noire."

"Neptune, I'll seriously drown you someday" said Noire, angry.

"What are your hobbies?" Blanc asked Lelouch.

"My hobbies? Well, I like to read books and play chess, though unfortunately I haven't been able to find a satisfying opponent." Answered the boy.

Blanc got intrigued.

"Would you care for a game?" she asked.

"Most certainly." He replied.

With that the game board was set and everyone gathered around to watch the outcome of the game.

"Lady Blanc, be careful! This guy is really good." Said Chika, hoping that the boy would lose.

"Hmph. I see that crushing your pride had its effect." Lelouch smirked at the oracle.

"Pick your pieces." Said Blanc.

"Then I'll go second." Said Lelouch picking the black set, leaving for Blanc the white one.

"Wow, Lelouch and Blanc are going to play against each other." Said Nepgear, as she started to remember how Lelouch beat Chika without any effort.

The game then proceeded. Lelouch was playing it safe, giving Blanc some feints here and there to test her decision making. She wasn't bad however, as she managed to take two of his pawns and a rook.

"Ho, I'm impressed. You're certainly doing better than Miss Hakozaki over there." Complimented Lelouch.

"Thank you, you aren't bad yourself." Said Blanc.

"However," said Lelouch gaining the attention of his opponent. "You're still far from beating me."

Then the game turned to Lelouch's favor in a flash. He started to move his king alongside his other pieces, which intrigued Blanc.

"Ah, he's doing it again! This tactic with the king." Said Chika, remembering her humiliating loss.

"A very interesting style of play, indeed." Said Blanc.

"Whoa, he's really good. I thought he was just…" said Neptune when she was cut off.

"Just what?" asked Lelouch glaring at the Planeptune CPU.

"Just, um… You gave off the impression of a guy, who thinks highly of himself, so I, you know, thought you weren't that smart." Said Neptune trying to evade the conflict.

"Neptune, that wasn't very nice." Scolded her Nepgear.

Lelouch turned his attention back to the game.

"Well then, I think it's time we put an end to the game." He said, proceeding to corner Blanc's king and take her pieces.

Shortly after he had her beat.

"Check mate." He said, placing his king in the final position.

Blanc was very interested in the prowess of the boy.

"It would seem that I underestimated you." She said. "I'd like to have a rematch with you some time in the future."

"I'm always open to a challenge." He said with a friendly smile.

"Hmph, I doubt you'll beat me." Said Noire taking a seat across the boy.

"Ho, you've got a lot of guts." Encouraged Lelouch.

The game was similar to the one with Blanc, with the only exception that his opponent was much more aggressive in her approach. The game's outcome didn't change however, as Lelouch still wound up the winner.

"What, I lost?!" Noire was shocked.

"You were a good opponent, though you had your flaws." Said Lelouch, satisfied that he could play against two CPUs.

"I want a rematch, right now." She said.

"C'mon, let's play something that's not boring to death." Moaned Neptune.

"Indeed, would you happen to have some video games with local multiplayer?" Vert asked Neptune.

"Be right back!" Neptune dashed off to somewhere.

Lelouch got up from his seat and was about to leave, when Noire stopped him.

"Are you running away?" Said Noire.

"No, I'm walking as you can see." Said Lelouch uninterested in the girl's wounded pride.

"No wait, please, just one more game!" Noire started to plead her case.

"Some other time. I promise you, you'll get your rematch." Lelouch said to the twin-tail girl, smiled and was on his way, leaving a blushing Noire.

"Wow, Mister Lelouch is very smart." Said Rom.

"Yeah, but what really matters, is that he's cool, like us!" said Ram to her sister.

"I don't know how he would feel about being compared to you two." Said Blanc.

"Oh, Lelouch was always looking after Rom and Ram on our journey, so don't worry, he may not look like it, but he's a really good person." Nepgear said.

"Though, his methods of showing his kindness aren't really praise worthy." Added Uni.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Said Nepgear, and the two girls started to laugh.

The rest of the day was uneventful for Lelouch, as he was in his room reading a few books he had gotten from the Basilicom library. Then someone knocked on the door.

"It's open." Lelouch said, as the door opened revealing the whole bunch of CPUs and CPU Candidates to be gathered in front of his room.

"Uh, what seems to be the problem?" Lelouch asked confused at the situation.

"Well, aren't you coming to the party we are having for a coming back?" asked Nepgear.

"I don't think that my presence is required there." Lelouch answered not taking his eyes away from the book.

"What?! You'll miss out on a party?! Well, since it's come to this, I'll just make you attend!" said Neptune. "I, Neptune, as CPU of this nation order you to come have fun with everyone."

"And what makes you think I'll comply to such a stupid order?" answered Lelouch.

"Come on, already!" Neptune was getting annoyed by the boy's attitude and took his book from his hands.

"Hey, give that back!" He said, now irritated.

"Hahaha! If you want this book so bad you'll have to catch me first!" said Neptune as she dashed off.

"Why you!" Lelouch had run up to where the girl was standing only to see where she had flown off to.

He sighed.

"That girl, she has no manners at all." Said Vert, ashamed that she was sharing a title with Neptune.

"It makes you wonder, how is she even a CPU." Added Blanc.

"I'm so sorry." Nepgear started to apologize left and right, frantically.

"Why do you not want to come Mister Lelouch?" asked Rom in her usual quiet tone.

Lelouch was seriously hoping that none of the twins, would say anything, because he would then look as if he didn't want spend time with anybody, making him out a jerk. His hopes were shattered when Rom asked him the question and pushed him into a corner.

"I guess I'll come." He said reluctantly.

"Yay!" Rom and Ram both were overjoyed and everyone went over to the living room.

"There you are. I knew you couldn't resist my charm." Neptune joked at the boy.

"Yes, I was captivated by a little girl with no actual appeal whatsoever." Continued the joke Lelouch, turning it around.

"Oof, that hurt. You won't be saying that when I transform." Said Neptune as she turned into her HDD form.

"How about now, is this the appeal you were looking for?" joked Purple Heart.

Lelouch blushed and ignored her, knowing that he couldn't win this conversation over to his side without sounding like a prick.

Neptune transformed back.

"Hah, I got you." She said laughing at him.

"Neptune, you're really lame sometimes, you know that?" said Noire.

"Heavens, you two, if Lelouch was looking for appeal he would've turned to me first." Said Vert hugging Lelouch.

The boy quickly turned red as a tomato and pried himself free from the woman's grip and put some distance between them.

"What do you think you're doing thundertits!" yelled out Blanc, furious.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be so insecure." Said Vert towards Lelouch.

"Please, don't ever do that again." He said, his face red like a tomato.

"Hahaha!" Neptune laughed at him.

The day passed, Lelouch tired from having to deal with the whims of all the girls, went to get some sleep. He was interrupted by Uni and Nepgear, who entered his room.

"What is it, you two?" asked the boy.

"Well, Uni said that she wanted to ask you something. I am just company" said Nepgear.

"Yeah, about that, um… Can you, um, teach me how to play chess sometime?" asked the girl blushing.

"Of course, there is no problem for me to do so." Replied the boy.

The two girls sat on his bed while he was on a chair next to a desk.

"I'm sorry for how my sister acted today." Apologized Nepgear.

"Don't worry, it's not you who's at fault." Said Lelouch.

"Lelouch, why do you refrain from befriending our sisters?" asked Uni, who had noticed his behavior.

"Well, that's a tough question." Lelouch said, as he paused to think for a bit. "They aren't bad people, it's just that, how should I say it, this whole life style doesn't seem to be my thing."

"Oh, you're still concerned about your amnesia?" asked Nepgear.

"Yes and I get the feeling that if I just sit around and do nothing, I will never know the truth." He said.

"Sorry if we are holding you back." Said Uni a little saddened.

Lelouch smiled at her.

"It's no one's fault but mine. I decided to help you, so that's that. It was my choice to make." Lelouch said.

"I guess it's hard for you to display your true self in front of others." Said Nepgear.

"I don't even know, how you two managed to get so intimate with me, without me even noticing it." Said the boy smiling at the girls.

"Well, you can't always be on your own. Everyone needs someone they can trust, so I hope you try to make friends with everyone, ok?" said Nepgear happy, that she gave out some advice.

"Yeah, besides, we're all gonna beat up ASIC, together!" said Uni pumped up.

"You're right. Maybe I'm just thinking too much on things. I'll try to make a better impression of myself tomorrow if that answer satisfies you." Said Lelouch.

"Ok, sorry for taking your time. Good night." Said Nepgear as she bowed her head.

"Good night." Added Uni.

The two girls left. Lelouch lied down on his bed and began to think.

"Make friends, huh? I can't believe I allowed those girls to get to know me. Still It doesn't feel bad to have someone to talk to every now and then. Maybe I'll try to act a little more sociable." Thought the boy, as he fell asleep.

On the next day when he woke up, he felt like there was something strange. This feeling further deepened when he saw Histoire make a shocked face at him when bumping into him.

"What's the matter?" asked Lelouch.

"Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but I believe it's best you look at yourself in a mirror." Replied the oracle nervously.

"Hmm? Why what's…" Lelouch stopped mid-sentence when he looked in the mirror.

His face was drawn on with marker. He was drawn a beard and a moustache with an eye goggle. Right then he felt that if he was a volcano, everything would be covered in lava, as his rage was unleashed.

"How dare they!" He yelled, as he started to wipe the marker off of his face, with no effect whatsoever.

"I suggest you go and take a bath." Said Histoire.

"Yes, I shall. Could you do me a favor and gather the ones responsible, though I already have an idea of who it is." The boy said, as he went for the bathroom.

He entered the shower, and started to wash himself. When he finished, he came out with a towel covering his waist. Lelouch dried himself and put on his clothes. However, when he reached for his shirt and trench coat, they were nowhere to be found. He quickly realized what was going on and stormed in the room where everyone had gathered, dressed only in his jeans and boots.

"Why are you running around topless, you perv!" yelled Noire, who couldn't help but look at the boy's physique. He wasn't anything special, though it was clear that he had some muscle on him.

He ignored the comment and looked around the room. He then caught sight of the thief, as he saw Neptune wearing his clothes over her own imitating him.

"So it was you!" he yelled.

"Yeah, and what if I am. Don't you dare speak to me in a way like that." Neptune said imitating his voice poorly.

Leloich became very frustrated at the girl and caught her by the hair before she could run away.

"If you don't stop with these stupid childish pranks, I'm going to make sure you regret making fun of me." he said, pulling on her hair.

"Owowow! Stop it!" Neptune said, as she started pulling his hair too.

They're childish fighting was interrupted when Nepgear entered the room.

"Goodness, what are you two doing, stop!" she yelled.

The two released each other reluctantly.

"Now apologize to each other and make up." Said Nepgear.

"I'm sorry, now can I receive my clothes back." Said Lelouch with a sigh.

"It didn't feel very honest." Said Neptune, at which Lelouch became very angry.

"Neptune!" scolded her Nepgear.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry, I was just trying to make everything a little less serious, you didn't have to get so worked up about it." She said, handing back Lelouch's clothes.

Lelouch put on his clothes, while being embarrassed of the way he had acted.

"C'mon live a little, you can't just live with some high standards and what not. Otherwise you'll end up friendless like Noire over there." Neptune said trying to cheer him up.

"I-I do have a friend!" she yelled in response.

"Oh really, what's his or her name, then?" asked Neptune.

Noire was at a loss for words and was looking for a way to get out of the situation.

"You know that Uni doesn't count, right." Said Neptune smirking.

"I-I know that!" Noire said nervous.

Lelouch noticed the flow of the conversation and decided to get back at Neptune.

"Well then since you have so many friends, name one." He said to Neptune.

"But of course, none other than my best buds Iffy and Compa." Said Neptune, triumphantly.

"Well then, Miss Noire over there has friends too." Said Lelouch.

"She does?!" asked Neptune shocked.

"I do?!" Noire was shocked too.

Lelouch went up to the tsundere in question.

"I look forward to our partnership." He said smiling at the girl.

Neptune's jaw dropped.

"W-Well, since you want to be friends with me so badly, I guess I'll allow it." Replied Noire nervously.

"I see how it is. You've taken Lonely Heart's side, have you. Well you are kindred spirits after all." Joked Neptune.

"Stop calling me that!" said Noire.

"Hmph." Grunted Lelouch further antagonizing Neptune.

Everyone started to laugh at the unfolding scene, however before the conversation could continue any further a huge earthquake was felt by everybody.

"What was that?" asked Nepgear.

And then, right on cue, entered Histoire.

"We have a huge emergency, everyone!" she yelled, worried.

"Stop frantin' and spill the beans Histy." Said Neptune.

"The quake we just felt came from the Gamindustri Graveyard. I want you to go there and investigate." Said the oracle.

"We're on it, Histoire." Said Noire.

"Wait, maybe it's best if only we went?" said Nepgear, referring to herself and the other candidates.

"Wow, Nep Jr. what's up with the sudden burst of courage." Said Neptune intrigued at her minor's change of attitude.

"Well, all of you just returned from that place and haven't fully recovered. So it would be for the better if only we went to investigate?" explained Nepgear.

"I agree with Nepgear, you four will stay here for now." Added histoire.

"Okay, but if anything happens we're going in." said Noire.

"Good, I will proceed to teleport you to the location." Said Histoire, encasing the group of people in light.

Everyone found themselves in a sadly familiar spot. They were back at the graveyard.

"Oof, this place never stops giving me the creeps." Complained IF.

"What is that!?" said Uni, shocked at the sight she was witnessing.

The rest turned around, only to see their favorite rat, with the only difference being that it was now the size of a building.

"It's a huge Mister Mouse!" said Compa.

"CHUUUU!" Roared the giant creature.

"What is this sudden surge of growth, mice shouldn't be capable of such feats?!" said 5pb terrified.

"Watch out!" yelled Lelouch, as he tackled Nepgear and IF away from the thing, just as it was about to squash them.

"Thank you, Lelouch." Said Nepgear standing up.

"Wouldn't want to see you as part of the concrete, now would I?" Lelouch decided to make a joke.

"I appreciate your effort, but this isn't the time." Said IF, referring to the boy's poor sense of humor.

"How did it get that big?" asked Ram.

"Look, everyone. It's heading straight for Gamindustri." Nepgear said worried.

"You're kidding. If our nations get attacked by a giant mutant rat, it's going to be a disaster!" said Uni.

"In that case, we'll have to simply put an end to that rodent." Said Lelouch drawing his revolver.

"You will do no such thing." Came the voice of a woman.

Everyone turned their attention to the voice. It was a tall woman with grey skin and long dark pink hair, wearing some type of skimpy armor with the rest of it levitating around her. She had a huge scythe in her hand.

"Y-You!" Nepgear instantly recognized, the person who had beaten her and the CPUs and imprisoned them.

"Wait, do you know her?" asked Uni.

"My sister, the CPUs and I fought against her and lost." Said Nepgear worried.

"To this one person?!" Uni was too shocked to believe such a thing.

"Then we gotta beat her up and avenge our lost sister!" said Ram.

"Blanc is okay… she's not dead." Said Rom, correcting her twin.

"The CPU Candidates, correct? You have been quite meddlesome, but that ends today." Said the woman. "The creature you just saw holds within it a fragment of our revived goddess, the Deity of Sin."

Lelouch received another headache, cursing in his mind for the bad timing.

"Oh, really? Then I guess that only confirms further our decision to stop it." Said IF.

"Yep! Please move out of our way Miss Scary Bully of CPUs." Said Compa.

"If you don't, we'll have to beat you up!" threatened Red.

"Empty, meaningless threats… Surely this one here knows that you have no chance of winning against me." Said the woman, looking at Nepgear.

"We can defeat you!" said Nepgear, full of courage.

"Oh?" The woman was intrigued by the change of attitude.

"We're not the same as before. We can beat you!" said Nepgear, as she and the other CPU Candidates transformed into HDD.

"Do you think what you're saying makes you sound brave? Foolishness. You won't leave here alive." Said the woman, as she took a swing at them with her scythe, sending all of the girls to the ground.

Lelouch finally managed to free himself from the headache, but he found himself face to face with the unknown enemy.

"Though that said, I have a special offer, just for you." She said.

"My name is CFW Magic, leader of the Four Felons." Magic introduced herself, to Lelouch who was in a stalemate unable to do anything.

"What is it that you want with me?" said Lelouch, nervous knowing that the slightest wrong move could end in him lying dead on the ground.

"I've taken an interest in you, so I extend to you the offer of joining the Four Felons. There is a free spot after all." Magic said with a smile, referring to the death of Judge.

"You expect me to answer you just like that?" Lelouch said shocked from Magic's words.

"No, I'll give you time to think about it. However I suggest you hurry it up, time is running out, you know." Said Magic playfully touching the confused boy's face. "I look forward to the time when you give me your answer."

"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have to deal with those pesky little girls." She said turning towards the girls lying on the ground in pain.

Lelouch was in a state of paralysis. He was so shook up, by what he was told, that he just stood there. But it wasn't just that, he was feeling something, something clenching his heart, as if telling him that he is doing something wrong.

"Let's resume where we left off, shall we?" Magic said preparing to take another swing with her scythe at the girls.

"No!" cried Nepgear.

"It's not over yet." Came a familiar voice.

Neptune, in her HDD, parried Magic's attack with her sword. She was accompanied by the other CPUs, in their HDD as well.

"Neptune!" Nepgear cried out.

"You'll be fine Nep Jr." said the older sister.

"Ah, the CPUs themselves. You should have remained in your prison of slumber." Said Magic.

"Sucks for you, but it's not really my thing to accept defeat!" said Noire.

"Plus, we are here to pay you back for what you put us through." Said Vert.

"Screw these intros! She's mine!" yelled Blanc, as she charged at Magic.

They then proceeded to fight with Magic, as the fallen girls got on their feet. Lelouch meanwhile had collapsed on the ground, from the pain in his chest.

"Compa, go and check up on Lelouch!" said IF.

"On it, Iffy!" replied the nurse.

"What was that all about?" asked Uni, concerned of what Magic told Lelouch.

"Beats me, right now we have a more important job." Said IF, turning to the fight.

"Lelouch…" Nepgear and the others were worried about him.

The CPUs managed to push Magic back, though barely.

"Interesting. If you wish to cling onto life that desperately, I will allow it… for now." Said Magic.

"Wow, gee, thanks. You're trying to sound cool, but you're just running away, aren't you?" Noire, tried to provoke the CFW.

"No. Destroying the CPUs is not a part of my mission. That pleasure belongs to our goddess." Magic replied. "Besides, you stopping even a fragment of her power is the greatest farce of our time."

"She's right, we don't have time to fight her!" said Red.

"The big rat is on its way to Gamindustri!" said 5pb.

"Big rat? You mean to say that a portion of the Deity of Sin's power is within it?" asked Neptune.

"The choice is yours. I will oblige if you want to grovel before me in pain again." Said Magic.

"Grr! You're still the best at pissin' me of, you know that? Get your rotten face outta my sight!" said Blanc.

Magic disappeared off to somewhere.

"She's gone." Said Neptune.

"Maybe now isn't the time to settle the score with her. Well, anyway…" Noire and the others turned to their comrades.

"Are all of you alright?" asked Vert.

"Yes, we're fine." Said Nepgear.

The CPUs transformed back in their human forms.

"We should head back and formulate a plan of action." Said Vert.

"Yes, the sooner we get back, the sooner we can get rid of that rat." Said Blanc.

"Yeah, this form feels the best, now doubt 'bout that." Neptune, was as away from the tension as always.

"Please try to maintain a regal air, would you? Human form or not, we're still CPUs." Noire complained about Neptune's attitude.

"What's his deal?" asked Blanc, noticing that Lelouch was unconscious.

"Lu- Lu is out, period. We need to get him back to the Basilicom." Said Compa, worried at the boy's condition.

"Meh, don't feel like it." Joked Neptune.

"Nep- Nep, you're being mean to Lu- Lu! He was trying his best to make friends with you all, too." Scolded her Compa.

"Heavens, that was making friends? It felt more like political negotiations." Said Vert, surprised a bit.

"Well, I guess no one is perfect." Said Blanc.

"What's up Noire, feel like helping out your passed out friend?" joked Neptune, at which she received some glares.

"I'll… stop. I should probably apologize to him when he wakes up, too." Said Neptune, feeling a little down about the way she had acted towards the boy.

"As a matter of fact Neptune, I will!" said Noire, stubbornly. "Uni, come and give me a hand."

"Right." The younger sibling went over to her sister, to help her and Compa carry the boy.

"Ugh, he's so heavyyy. He wasn't this heavy when we rescued him." Said Compa crumbling under the weight, only for IF to come and lend a hand.

"Yeah. If you've noticed, you're now the only one that complains about running." Said IF to her friend. "I guess he's been trying to get in better shape."

"Huh? He's been training?" said Nepgear surprised.

"Yeah, what do you think he was doing when he was alone?" asked Uni.

"I don't know, I thought he was reading books all day. I didn't think that he was so serious about helping us." Said Nepgear, a little ashamed.

"Yeah, I'm surprised too, considering how he was when we first set off." Said IF remembering the boy's constant whining.

"That just goes to show, that he considers you very good friends and doesn't want to let you down." Said Vert with a smile.

"Mister Lelouch is a nice person." Said Rom.

"Yeah." Added Ram.

Both girls received a hug from Blanc, as she was surprised that they had gotten attached to the mysterious boy.

A light then engulfed them and transported them back to the Palneptune Basilicom.

* * *

 **There are a lot of things to say, right now. First, you'll be probably thinking that i'm pairing up Lelouch with Noire. Though that may be the case, since Noire is my second favorite CPU (my first is Iris Heart *wink, wink*), it will probably happen, but very slow. Second, Neptune's character probably came across as a jackass, so i intend to fix that with a few events later on. Third, i intend to make all CPUs interested in him, though in due time. And finally fourth, regarding the CPU Candidates, i think that he has a good relationship with Rom and Ram, and as for Nepgear and Uni, i may try to make them have something like a crush on him. I apologize again for this chapter, if you believe it was poorly written, though i think it tuned out ok. If you do, please share your thoughts, that way i may figure out a way to prevent this from happening. Well, enough self loathing from me. Once again i remind you that i'll be gone this Friday and Saturday, so there won't be any new chapters for a while. Thank you for everything and i hope you have a great day :).**


	12. Calm days part 1

**Yes, I'm back! Thanks for the wait guys, but now its time to get back to work! Hope this chapter provides the everyday routine that i found was missing from my story. I think it's nice to have pauses like this, since it lets you get some breathing room before the action continues. (I'm the type of person who enjoys most fillers, except for one piece fillers! Those are way too long!). Anyway please enjoy.**

Chapter 12: Calm days and the storm after them part 1

Everything was pitch black. Lelouch was in a dark void. He heard a soft and gentle womanly voice.

"Lelouch…" echoed the voice.

"Who are you, where are you?" asked the boy confused.

He then turned to the direction of the voice, only to see a white silhouette of a woman. The silhouette was starting to fade away.

"Wait! Who are you? How do you know who I am?" asked Lelouch, desperate to know what was going on.

He didn't receive an answer and everything was dark again.

Lelouch woke up in a familiar room. It was the very same room he first woke up to meet the girls. However, this time, only Histoire was standing next to him. He got up.

"Lelouch, you're finally awake!" said Histoire overjoyed.

"Yeah, for how long was I asleep?" asked the boy, putting on his coat.

"You were asleep for almost a day." Told him Histoire.

"What?!" Lelouch, was shocked.

"What happened to the others and the giant rat?" he asked.

"They dealt with it yesterday and have gone out to do some quests." Answered him the oracle.

"I see." Replied Lelouch.

"By the way, I'm curious, as to what happened out there yesterday." Said Histoire.

"Well to be honest, I have no clue either." Answered Lelouch, as he started explaining what had happened to him.

"That CFW Magic woman wanted to make me a part of the Four Felons." Said Lelouch, concerned.

"I see." Histoire replied, as she listened to the rest of the story. "I guess they've started to realize part of the truth. If that is so, then I must not allow them to corrupt his mind." Histoire thought to herself.

"The other strange thing that happened was when she finished talking to me, I felt a huge pain from my chest. It made me feel like I'm forgetting something very important." Said Lelouch, deep in thought.

"Well, I suggest you rest for now." Said Histoire, worried. "Has the seal started to wear off? No, I would've noticed by now, if it had." Thought Histoire.

"You're right. I'll take the day off." Said Lelouch. "Is there anything you'd like me to help you with?"

"Yes, could you help me with some of the paperwork. It has started to pile up, considering everything that's happening." Said Histoire.

"Alright, then." Lelouch headed with Histoire to her office.

Both sat down and began to work. They didn't really talk to each other, only the occasional questions Lelouch had seemed to break the silence.

"Oh, this is so wonderful. It takes me back to those wonderful times. Only if Neptune was willing to work, too." Thought Histoire happily to herself.

They eventually finished.

"Oh, I remembered that I have ordered a new sword from the weapon's shopkeeper. I'll be out for a bit." Said the boy, as he left for the store in question.

He arrived at the shop and entered it. Upon his entrance he was greeted by the smiling face of an old man.

"Oh, you're just on time, my boy." He said, happily, as he showed the boy a high-tech black sword with gold crystals in it.

"Ho, I'm impressed at the craftsmanship." Said Lelouch, examining the blade.

"And that's not all! If you check you'll see that it can do something else." Smiled the man.

Lelouch found a trigger on the hilt of the blade. He pressed it and the dark metal blade was surrounded by a red energy stream forming a beam shell over it.

"As you can see, it can be used as a normal sword, but if you ever feel like you need the extra lethality, you can use the energy beam mode! It's one of a kind. Promise me you'll take good care of it." Said the man, proud of his work, as the boy shut off the energy emitter.

"Indeed I shall. Thank you for your services." Lelouch bowed his head to the man, sheathed his new weapon on the left side of his waist, and exited the store.

He headed back to the Basilicom. There he met with everyone, who had returned from their work.

"Hey, look, you guys it's Lu- Lu." Said Neptune pointing at him.

They all gathered around him, not giving him any personal space whatsoever.

"Are you all right?" asked Uni, who saw that that Lelouch was kind of sad.

"Hey, if it's about all the jokes I did on you, I'm sorry. So cheer up!" Neptune said with a beaming smile.

"Mister Lelouch?" Rom was curious, as to why the boy was sad.

"If it's what that CFW told you, just forget it!" said Noire.

Lelouch then bowed his head to all of them.

"I deeply apologize for holding you back in the last fight. I will see to it, that it never happens again." Said the boy, ashamed of his own uselessness.

With that he walked off to his room, not giving the girls a chance to say anything. After walking out of sight he punched the wall next to him.

"Damn it! I let them down, even though I said that I would help them!" Lelouch thought to himself in anger.

Back with the girls.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Nepgear concerned.

"I didn't think he had taken it so deeply." Said Vert surprised.

"He's probably beating himself over it." Added Blanc.

"I'd like some of you to go and talk to him." Said Histoire, who had come into the room to witness what had happened.

"We'll do it! We'll cheer him up and he'll be as good as new!" said Ram.

"Uh- huh." Added Rom.

Blanc smiled at how compassionate her sisters were.

"We'll go with you." Said Nepgear, referring to herself and Uni, who gave a nod.

"Ok, but please don't worsen the situation." Said Histoire, as the Candidates went off.

"Histy, I've been meaning to ask you, why're you so concerned about Lu-Lu?" asked Neptune.

"Yeah, Histoire, you've been acting very strange around him." Said Blanc.

"It's almost like you're looking out for him." Joked Vert.

"I just feel bad for him, not having his memory and all." replied Histoire with a concerned look, not telling them the truth.

"Chill out, Histy! Even if his memory does not return that doesn't mean he'll die or anything." Said Neptune in her usual positive way.

Nepgear and the other three girls knocked on Lelouch's room, but received no answer. They opened the door, but he wasn't there. The girls looked around until they found him inside the Basilicom's training facility. There Lelouch was full of scratches and bruises from the simulations he had gone through. The girls saw what he had put himself up against, much to their horror. Five elemental dragons were facing at the boy, who was fighting them on his own. Before they managed to interrupt, Lelouch had managed to take one down, only for the second to bash him with its tail. Nepgear managed to stop the simulation and the girls ran in.

"Goodness, what are you doing?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" asked Nepgear, who was in shock from the state of the boy.

Lelouch managed to take a breath and noticed them.

"Are you insane?! Trying to face those things head on just by yourself?!" added Uni, who was also concerned.

Lelouch looked at them.

"If I have the time to make mistakes and fail, then I most certainly have the time to make improvements on myself." Was the reply they received.

"You call this life or death battle an improvement?!" Nepgear was shocked.

"Yes, it's training in a way." Replied Lelouch.

"Is this the way you do things? Is this how you handle yourself when you lose to someone?" asked him Uni, remembering how similar this situation was.

"Yes. I have already told you how I see things. If I fail that only means that I have to make sure it never happens again." Lelouch said, reminding the girl of his advice.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but this is too much!" said Ram, worried.

"Mister Lelouch, whenever you feel down it's always good to share your pain with somebody, or at least that's what Mina told me." Said Rom.

Lelouch smiled at the girls, thinking that he didn't deserve their worry.

"And she's probably right. But this is how I do things. I have no intention of changing myself." Said Lelouch to the girls.

"I see." Surrendered Uni, knowing well what he meant.

"So you don't feel bad about losing?" asked Ram.

"Of course I do, but I don't have time to pity myself." Answered Lelouch.

"Well, if we can't change your mind, would you at least like to come for dinner?" asked Nepgear.

Rom and Ram hugged him, not letting go.

"C'mon, please?" begged Ram.

"Pretty please?" added Rom.

Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the girls.

"Ok, I promise I will come for dinner." He said patting the two girls on their heads.

"If you ever need anything, or just need someone to talk to we're always free." Said Nepgear smiling at the boy, as they were about to leave.

"Thank you." Lelouch smiled back at the girls.

Rom and Ram hugged him again, while Nepgear and Uni blushed. With that the girls were off.

"I'll make sure to protect those smiles." Said Lelouch happily to himself after reactivating the simulation.

After a few hours of grueling battles, Lelouch lay on the ground exhausted.

"I should probably go and get myself in a more presentable appearance, since I promised them." Lelouch thought to himself, as he stood up and headed to take a shower.

After finishing he headed to the dining room. There he was greeted by quite the sight. Noire was trying to choke Neptune, Vert and Blanc were arguing, the oracles were having their conversation, IF and Compa were chatting with Red and 5pb, and Nepgear and the other Candidates were watching something on a small gaming console.

Lelouch didn't quite know how to proceed, so he was about to head back when he was spotted.

"I spy myself a male tsundere!" said, Neptune having freed herself from Noire.

Lelouch then became the center of attention, just as he was about to leave.

"Where are you going? Everyone's here." Said IF.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Grumbled Lelouch, not liking the noisy atmosphere.

"Please, take a seat." Invited him Histoire.

The only available one was in the center, as if reserved for somebody. Lelouch sat down with some reluctance. Sadly, Neptune was on his left.

"C'mon, cheer up Lu-Lu! You get to sit next to me, the protagonist of protagonists." Said Neptune.

"I've been meaning to ask you, why are you calling me like that, too?" asked Lelouch a little annoyed.

"Cause it's cute. It's perfect with your grumpy face and sour attitude." Joked Neptune.

"Hmph." Lelouch wasn't really interested in jokes.

"Lelouch are you by chance, a perfectionist?" asked him Vert.

"Of course." Was the proud answer she got.

"Oh my, such confidence, but I don't really think it is something you should brag about." Vert said, felling a little awkward.

"You said that you like to read books. What is your favorite genre?" asked him Blanc.

"Well if I had to pick one, I'd say I'm a fan of revenge stories." Answered Lelouch.

"So, let's get on with the real questions! First off, got a girlfriend?" fired off Neptune.

Noire, Uni, Nepgear and Blanc blushed at the sentence.

"N-Neptune! What do you think you are asking! It's not our business if he has a g-girlfriend or not!" said Noire embarrassed, but still curious.

Lelouch wasn't really sure what to answer.

"I don't. I haven't really thought about being in a relationship, yet." He said, trying not to meet eyes with anybody.

"Ho, so you mean to tell us that you're having troubles in the dating department, is that it?" joked Neptune.

"N-No, I just haven't considered it." Replied Lelouch, somewhat embarrassed.

"It is such a shame that someone so smart and handsome is so insecure about himself being in a relationship. But don't worry a lot of girls like insecure guys." Said Vert, winking at him playfully.

Lelouch quickly averted her gaze, while blushing.

"But don't you worry, we're not gonna allow any girl off the street lay her hands on you. You are, after all, our very own male tsundere and that makes you almost as important as Noire! Your type is rare, you know." said Neptune triumphantly.

"Wha?!" Lelouch was really starting to lose where the conversation was going.

"Neptune you just reduced him to a character archetype." Said Blanc.

"Apologize this instant Neptune, but first to me." Noire demanded.

"Apologize for what? You're so used to being lonely, that now that he, just because he is a loner himself, went and asked you to be friends, that you can't even hold a proper conversation with him." Neptune joked.

"You shut up! I'm not lonely and I can hold a proper conversation!" said Noire nervous.

"Ok, then ask him a question." Said Neptune, taunting the tsundere.

"Fine!" said Noire, as she turned to Lelouch.

"So, um, … what do you think about, you know, cosplaying, not like I'm curious about your opinion or anything!?" she asked nervously.

Lelouch felt even more awkward trying to talk to the girl, but decided to play it safe.

"I think it's a nice hobby to have, though I haven't really considered trying it myself." He answered, hoping that he hadn't upset her.

"Really? Then… n-no no no, forget about it!" Noire talked to herself.

"My dear Lonely Heart, this only proves that you are not yet ready for having friends." Joked Neptune, after which Noire resumed strangling her.

Everyone started to laugh at the display, though Lelouch just smiled.

"Even if a lie, this life isn't so bad." Lelouch thought to himself, appreciating the light-hearted atmosphere.

* * *

 **Done! I think i did somewhat of a nice job with this chapter. I'm not really good at writing comedy, so please forgive me. I want to give a shout-out to a reader whose review inspired me to make Lelouch's new sword a beam blade. I think I am making Lelouch's relationships at a steady pace. I'm taking the slow approach since i believe Lelouch to be the type of person who finds it hard to open himself up to others. In short, the Nep girls are gonna have to work for what they want :D. Anyway thank you for reading and i hope you have a nice day!**


	13. The storm after them part 2

Chapter 13: Calm days and the storm after them part 2

Lelouch woke up in his room. He decided to take a look at the time and was shocked to find out it was already noon. He got up, took a bath, and went to get something to eat.

Upon walking down-stairs he was greeted by Neptune and Nepgear.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" said Neptune with a smile.

"Um, Neptune, it's noon." Corrected her Nepgear.

"Salutations to you two as well." Lelouch greeted them, but then noticed something.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Everyone has gone to their respective nations, in order to restore their Shares." Answered Nepgear.

"I see." Replied the boy.

"What, are you feeling lonely now that everyone's gone? Fear not, for you get to spend the rest of the day with yours truly!" said Neptune, puffing up her chest.

Lelouch gave her an unamused look.

"You said that they were working to restore their Shares, right? Then why aren't you two doing the same?" he asked.

"Uh- oh." Neptune said, as she was caught by the collar of her jersey, by Lelouch just as she was about to run away.

"A good question indeed." Came the irritated voice of Histoire, who appeared to be mad.

"Neptune, for the billionth time, GET TO WORK!" yelled the oracle.

Neptune and Nepgear got scared, while Lelouch was surprised to see this side of Histoire.

"But I don't wanna! It's boring to do paper work, and besides the weather's so nice." Said Neptune, trying to weasel her way out.

"Nepgear, this is your fault. You are always spoiling her." Said Histoire to the younger Nep sibling.

"I'm sorry." Nepgear apologized.

Lelouch was watching the display thinking it to be hilarious, as a smirk formed on his face.

"What are you smiling about? Do you enjoy seeing other people's suffering?" asked Neptune, displeased by the fact that he was holding her from running away.

"I find your laziness hilarious, actually." Lelouch said.

"*Sigh* Lelouch could I ask you to keep a look on Neptune. I want you to make sure she completes her work." Begged Histoire.

"Don't worry, I'll try to think of something to get her spirit up." Joked Lelouch and turned to the Nep girls. "Well with that said, I will be accompanying you for today."

"You'll help us with work?" asked Nepgear.

"Yes and seeing as how neither of you have a schedule to keep to, I'll work one out for you." Said Lelouch.

"No! You sound just like Noire! I don't wanna be punctual or formal or stuff like that!" whined Neptune, as she tried to break free from the boy's grip.

"*Sigh* It would seem that you are an irredeemable slacker." Lelouch said annoyed at the CPU. "Tell you what, let's make a deal."

"Huh, what deal?" Neptune was curious.

"I'll do your paperwork for today and you two will do the physical labor." Lelouch said.

"So in short, you're telling me that I don't have to stay behind a desk all day? I'm in!" rejoiced Neptune hugging the boy.

"Get off!" he pried her away from himself.

"Are you sure you don't need help? If you want we can help?" asked Nepgear, concerned since she had a rough idea of the mountain of documents that was awaiting the boy.

"Don't worry about me, I'll manage just fine. Now off, both of you." Lelouch said, shooing the two girls to work.

He went up to the CPUs office and entered it. Upon so he received a slight migraine, which faded away until he had the time to realize it was there.

"*Sigh* I can see why Histoire gets so mad. If I were in here shoes, I would have probably lynched Neptune." Lelouch said as his gaze was fixed upon the huge pile of paper.

He proceeded to work his way through the mountain of paper work. He took his time to read and evaluate every single one. Sometime later Histoire entered the office and upon seeing the boy a mixture of happiness and sadness was written on her face.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Lelouch, who had noticed the oracle.

"*Sigh* I'm glad that you're helping them, but what I had in mind was for you to get Neptune to do her job." Said Histoire.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I'm not bothered by something like this. In fact I find it to be very soothing." Replied Lelouch, who returned his gaze to the document he had in his hands.

"I guess somethings don't change." Thought happily to herself Histoire.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked the boy.

"Why yes, I'd appreciate some, thank you." He said.

Histoire returned shortly after. She poured him and herself some tea. Lelouch took a sip and continued on with his work.

"What do you think about Neptune?" suddenly asked him Histoire.

"Hmm, well to be honest she is like a big child. You can say that she is even more childish than Rom and Ram. Though her personality does have its uses. I've noticed that she's often the soul of a company and sets the mood. Another thing that intrigued me was the change of personality when she transformed. That only serves to prove that she can be a diligent worker, but is too lazy to do so." Lelouch gave his summary of the Planeptune CPU.

"Yes, I thought you would say that. Still, it would be so nice for me to finally see her doing her work properly." Let out a sigh Histoire.

"Hmph, don't concern yourself. Time changes people after all. I'm sure she will be all right." Said Lelouch.

"I hope you're right." Said Histoire smiling at the boy. "I really do." She thought to herself.

Lelouch finally managed to go through all of the paper and had organized it appropriately. He left the Basilicom and went to get some fresh air. On his walk he noticed two familiar figures who were lying on the ground across a river.

"So, I take it that you two finished your assignments?" he said with irritation evident in his voice.

"Yikes!" Neptune jumped up like a startled cat. "Don't pop up like that, you will give a resting person a heart attack."

"Will I now?" Lelouch said with a stern expression.

"We did all the quests, so we were just taking a nap." Said Nepgear.

"Would you like to join us?" asked him the CPU Candidate.

"I guess I shall." Said Lelouch, smiling at the two girls.

With that the three now lay on the ground gazing up at the sky.

"Hey, Lu-Lu?" started a conversation Neptune.

"What?" asked Lelouch.

"I guess I just wanted to thank you. There ain't a reason to it, just a thank you between pals." She said.

"Well then, I'll just have to accept it, won't I." Lelouch replied with a smile.

"You're so amazing Lelouch." Stated Nepgear.

"And why do you think that?" asked the boy.

"You're always trying to be better and better. When you fail you push yourself even harder." Said Nepgear, admiring the boy.

"That's nothing to be amazed by. To be honest, I'm more impressed with all of you. There is a threat that looms over you and yet you all manage to lead a happy life." Lelouch said in turn.

"You can do it, too. You just have to let go and relax some times." Said Neptune.

"That is the part I like about all of you. Such genuine happiness." Replied the boy.

"Are you not happy, Lelouch?" asked him Nepgear, concerned for the boy.

"I will be, when I know that I can preserve yours." He said with a smile.

"Awww, that was, like, so cute. I told you that the name Lu-Lu was good on you." Said Neptune ruining the mood.

"And there you go again." Sighed Lelouch.

"C'mon, don't get so down just cause I interrupted you while you were trying to act cool." Said Neptune smiling at the boy.

"Hmph. I think I'm always cool." Remarked Lelouch.

"Sure." Neptune and Nepgear started to laugh at the boy's ego.

"I think it's time we headed back." Lelouch said, as he and the two girls stood up and headed for the Basilicom.

After a few days everyone had gathered in the Planeptune Basilicom.

"Everyone, please listen." Said Histoire. "I have received information that there is an ASIC factory developing corrupted chips in Lastation."

"Sweet! Now we just gotta go there and bust it." Said Neptune.

"Yes, that would be the recommended course of action." Agreed Vert.

"All of you will head to the facility in question and shut it down." Said Histoire, finishing the discussion.

Everyone was about to head out, until she stopped Lelouch.

"I'd like for you to stay here. In case an emergency breaks lose." Said Histoire to the boy.

"What's wrong Histoire?" asked Nepgear, who had noticed that she had stopped Lelouch.

"Yeah, what gives? Why isn't he coming too?" asked Ram.

"You surely have no need for my assistance in such matters. I will remain here and help Histoire maintain the situation." The boy told the group.

"M' kay. Just know that you're missing out on a lot of fun." Said Neptune, as she and the rest went off.

Lelouch and Histoire were the only ones left.

"I hope they return safely." Said Histoire.

"They shall, no need for you to worry. They are much stronger now." Reassured her Lelouch.

"Could I take some time off? I'd like to get some fresh air." Lelouch asked.

"Of course." Told him Histoire.

With that he left the Basilicom and was walking around the outskirts of Planeptune.

"Will I ever get to be like them?" asked himself Lelouch in his thoughts.

"Unbound by anything, they live their lives to the fullest enjoying the precious moments." Lelouch continued thinking.

"If I'm not meant for such a fate, then I guess I can only help preserve theirs." Lelouch thought, reminding himself of all the things he didn't know.

"Maybe it's a blessing that I don't have my memory? Maybe I should just forget and move on?" he thought.

"No, no matter the cost I will know the truth." He quickly made up his mind, clearing away the doubts, remembering the white silhouette of a woman he had witnessed.

A lot of time had passed, when Lelouch finally finished his thought process, in fact it was night time. He decided that he should head back.

"I wonder If they have returned already?" asked himself Lelouch after arriving at the Basilicom.

Strangely he didn't find anyone. He quickly noticed something was wrong and dashed in search of Histoire, hoping that she was okay.

He then came inside a large room which served as an official meeting place. There he saw CFW Trick holding Histoire.

"You're in good hands now, my precious cutie." He said drooling at the oracle.

"Release me!" Histoire tried to break free.

Lelouch became enraged.

"Let the oracle go right now!" he yelled.

Trick turned around to see the newcomer.

"Oh, it's you, the non- believer." Trick said with a disgusted voice. "Honestly I don't see why Magic is trying to recruit you, but I guess I don't care what goes on in that old hag's mind."

"I will not repeat myself!" yelled Lelouch in anger.

"Who do you think you are, to hold such a tone towards me, huh?!" Trick became irritated at the boy.

"Tachyon Drive!" Lelouch yelled out, as the red aura surrounded him.

He took out his revolver and sword.

"So you wanna play rough, ay? Fine by me." Trick said, as he struck with his tongue.

Lelouch dodged the attack and appeared in front of the thing placing his revolver in his face.

"Dark Burst!" yelled the boy, as the energy stream engulfed Trick's head.

"Arghh!" Trick moved backwards in pain, still holding Histoire.

"I'll teach you not to mess with me!" Trick yelled enraged, lashing out with his tongue again.

Lelouch managed to dodge a second time and got in front of the CFW. He didn't want to risk hurting Histoire, so he didn't use any of his other attacks. He took out his sword and stabbed Trick in the arm with which he was holding Histoire, then activated the energy emitter on the blade, causing a huge wound to Tick.

"How dare you!" Trick yelled out in pain, still not letting of Histoire.

"Let her go, you beast!" Yelled Lelouch in anger.

"Lelouch, watch out!" tried to warn him Histoire, though too late.

Trick had swung at Lelouch's left arm, the one in which was his pistol, with his claws and tore it off.

"AAAAHH!" Lelouch fell on the ground in pain, a pool of his own blood forming around him.

Histoire gasped in horror of the sight.

"Hahaha! Serves you right! Now, I'll leave you to your miserable death!" said Trick, who was recovering from his wound.

The intense sensations surging throughout his body, caused Lelouch to fall on the ground unconscious. Trick witnessing the fall of the boy started to laugh and went off somewhere, leaving Lelouch lying in his own blood.

* * *

 **Aaand he's dead. End of story gyus, hope you enjoyed your stay! Just kidding :D (pls don't hate me). Things got a little deeper in this chapter as the plot resumes. How will things continue from here on? We'll just have to wait and find out, now won't we. Anyway this was a somewhat short chapter, but i think the contents made up for it. Stay tuned for more and i hope you have a nice day :)!**


	14. Defeat of Trick and grim news

**Well, since you're all reading this i guess you ignored my joke at the end of the last chapter. It would've been a real d*ck move to leave the story after that :D. In this chapter i tried to bring out a side of Lelouch i personally love about his character, you'll see what i mean. Hope it turned out ok. Anyway on with the story.**

Chapter 14: Defeat of Trick and grim news.

Lelouch found himself once again in the dark void.

"Am I dead?" he asked, his voice echoing around the endless space.

"What is this place?" Lelouch asked curious.

"I failed, again." Lelouch sighed in disappointment of himself.

Then suddenly came a familiar voice.

"Lelouch…" echoed the voice.

Lelouch turned around to find the white silhouette of a woman to be standing there.

"It's you!" Lelouch ran towards the image, but it seemed as the further he ran the farther away the image was.

"What is this place? Who are you? Why am I here? I have all these questions that I want to ask you!" said Lelouch begging for the woman not to leave him.

The silhouette then appeared next to him and embraced him.

"Shh, it's okay. No matter what, you won't die. You will live on." The woman said with a soft and caring voice, as she started to fade away.

"Wait, please! Don't leave me!" Lelouch begged, but he was alone once more.

He was in utter confusion. What did the woman mean? What was this place? What is he? Those were the questions tormenting him. Lelouch felt tired and once again closed his eyes, shutting off the void.

Lelouch woke up lying on the ground. His immediate reaction was to clench his missing arm, only to realize it was there. There was no blood around him, either. He was confused and somewhat afraid. Then everything came back to him. His miserable failure and the fact that he had allowed Histoire to be captured started to grind his gears.

"He'll pay! I'll destroy him!" Lelouch raged.

He managed to calm himself down and started to think of a strategy to defeat the CFW. He couldn't think of anything, cause of the anger that was still pressing him and decided to find out where the CFW had taken Histoire.

After running around the town and having zero leads, Lelouch started to become even more frustrated. He then heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! I see Lu-Lu!" Neptune's voice could be heard from a mile away, sadly.

She and the rest of the CPUs ran towards the boy. Lelouch couldn't see the Candidates amongst the group.

"What happened here?" asked Vert.

"No one cares what happened." Lelouch said trying to suppress his anger.

The girls were taken aback by his reply.

"Where are Nepgear and the others? Are they ok?" he asked, trying to get the information he wanted as quickly as possible.

"They went to face that Trick person and rescue Histy." Replied Neptune, a little scared by the boy's attitude.

"They what!?" Lelouch gave an outburst, which only further shocked the girls. "Then why aren't any of you with them?!"

"They had conditions. Only the CPU Candidates were to meet them." Said Blanc.

"Do you know where they headed?!" asked Lelouch his patience running out.

"Y-Yes they are at LAN Castle. We were heading there to rescue them." Said Noire nervously.

Without even a single word Lelouch dashed off, leaving the CPUs behind in hope to prevent them from becoming an outlet for his rage.

"If anything happens to those girls, I'll make sure you wish you were dead ASIC!" Lelouch raged in his mind.

"What's wrong with him?!" asked a confused Neptune.

"We should hurry after him!" said Vert, as the group ran in the direction the boy had.

Now at LAN Castle, Lelouch sneaked inside without being noticed. Finally arriving at the room where everyone was he was shocked from the sight he witnessed. Nepgear and Uni were lying on the ground receiving hits from Underling's bat. Rom and Ram were, along with Histoire, in Trick's possession.

When Underling swung at the two girls again, something inside Lelouch broke. The red aura appeared around him, only more fluent and emitting red lightning from his body. Luckily for him Rom and Ram had managed to free themselves and Histoire from Trick, giving him a second of diverted attention. He appeared behind Underling, just as she was about to strike again with her bat, and clutched her weapon in his arm.

"What the?! Where did you come from?!" Underling stated in pure shock.

Lelouch's face was filled with anger.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked Underling through gritted teeth, and then backhand punched the girl sending her crashing to a wall.

Nepgear and Uni were too terrified, from the energy that the boy was emitting, to even speak. They stood there watching.

Lelouch then turned back to Rom and Ram.

"You've done well, you two." He said as he walked past them.

The two girls were in the same state as the others, with Histoire wearing a worried expression.

"Lelouch, please stop this." Begged the oracle.

Trick came to and saw his enemy heading towards him with blood lust in his eyes.

"You!? I-Impossible, I saw you die?!" squealed Trick terrified from the boy.

His sentence made the CPU Candidates further horrified, only imagining what had happened.

Lelouch said nothing, but continued walking towards the CFW with pure hatred in his eyes.

"N-No matter. I will simply have to put you down again!" Trick regained his composure and struck at Lelouch.

Lelouch elegantly dodged his attack and appeared right before Trick.

"What?!" Trick was dumbfounded at the speed of the boy.

He wasn't given any time for an action, as Lelouch effortlessly severed his left arm from his body.

"Graaah!" Trick moved backwards yelling in pain.

Lelouch continued his advance.

"I beg of you please stop this!" Histoire begged the boy to stop, but to no avail.

Lelouch was now standing before Trick who lay on the ground. He was still looking at him with the intent to kill.

"Y-You, what are you?!" said Trick in utter terror.

That moment the rest of the CPUs entered the facility.

That diverted Lelouch's attention and Trick used that chance to attack him.

"Watch out!" Noire screamed, only to witness Lelouch grabbing the tongue of the CFW.

"What?!" Trick was shocked.

"This is the last time anyone sees your disgusting face!" Lelouch said, cutting off Trick's tongue with his sword.

"AAAARGHH!" Trick started to writhe in pain.

Everyone was shocked at the sight.

"It's over!" Lelouch raised his sword, but just as he was about impale Trick's head Purple Heart and Black Heart parried him.

"That's enough!" yelled Black Heart.

"Cease your actions at once!" demanded Purple Heart.

Lelouch became confused.

"Why are you protecting this thing?!" he yelled.

"He is defeated, there is no need for us to do anything further." Tried to calm him down Purple Heart.

The other CPUs tended to the Candidates.

Trick then came to and slashed Noire and Neptune in the backs, sending them on the ground.

"Why you!" Lelouch appeared right in front of Trick and stabbed his sword in the CFW's head.

"Void Rupture!" Yelled Lelouch, with his sword still inside the head of the CFW.

Then the attack resolved, causing Trick's body to fall into severed pieces on the ground.

Lelouch now stood across the remains of his enemy, exhausted from his outburst. He immediately went to Noire and Neptune.

"Are both of you all right?" he asked concerned for the two girls.

He helped the two transformed CPUs get up.

"We're fine, but what about you?" said Noire.

"Don't worry about me, is everyone else-." The red aura disappeared from Lelouch and he fell unconscious.

Neptune and Noire managed to catch him before he fell to the ground.

"Goodness, is he ok?!" asked a concerned Nepgear.

"He is fine. His body is just tired from the sudden burst of power." Assured her Histoire.

"Will he be fine?" asked Neptune, who along with Noire were holding the boy.

"Yes. When he wakes up he should be back to normal." Told them Histoire.

"Still that was something else." Said Blanc, referring to the state the boy had been in.

"Indeed. I guess the people who keep to themselves are the scariest, when angered." Added Vert.

"What happened for him to end up like that?" asked Uni.

"Well, you see…" Histoire explained to them what had happened while they were away, leaving out the bit in which Lelouch's arm cut off, evading the explanation, as to why his arm was in it's original shape, which only she could give.

The girls were shocked.

"If what you're saying is true, then he…" Neptune started.

"Snapped because he failed to protect you." Finished Blanc.

"Yes. I believe that the thought of failing the only thing he needed to do, really put a strain on him." Said Histoire.

"It's surely not just that. When he ran into us he was really concerned about everyone." Said Vert, explaining how Lelouch had asked if everyone was ok.

"So he got angry because he was worried about us?" asked Ram, confused.

"He hurt himself in order to protect us. Why would he do that?" said Nepgear, who was starting to tear up.

Neptune and Noire had laid Lelouch down on the ground and transformed back into their human forms.

Neptune put a hand over her sister's shoulder.

"I guess he wasn't kidding back then." Said Neptune, remembering what Lelouch had told them when they were relaxing after work.

She started to feel a little bad about joking about it back then.

"*Sigh* Well what's done is done. We should head off to a safe location." Said Histoire, as the group left the building.

Noire and Vert were in their HDD forms and were carrying Lelouch.

They returned to the Planeptune Basilicom, where they put Lelouch down to rest on a bed.

He woke up after a few hours and was greeted by the sight of all the girls staring at him.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" he asked confused, looking at the girls.

The CPU Candidates rushed to him and embraced him crying.

"*Sob* Please don't ever do that again." Cried Nepgear.

"Yeah, *Sob* what if you don't make it next time?" Uni was crying too.

"*Sob, sob* You're a big meanie, making everyone worry about you like that." Said Ram, crying alongside Rom.

"Mister Lelouch *Sob, sob*!" continued to cry Rom.

Lelouch at first was startled by the girls, but then calmed down and smiled at them.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot give any promises that I'm sure to break." He said smiling, as he embraced the four crying girls like an older brother. (yesss, been wantin to give Lulu an interaction like this for a very long time now. sorry for ruining the atmosphere.)

"It's alright now." He let go of the girls and walked over to the CPUs.

"I'm truly sorry for my rudeness towards all of you." He bowed his head to the girls.

"You better be, jerk!" said Noire, who was tearing up as well.

"Apology accepted." Said Vert, smiling at the boy.

"Yay, now that you're all dandy and fine again, let's go beat up some ASIC butt!" stated Neptune, ruining the mood, as always.

"*Sigh* You really need to learn that its sometimes best to keep that mouth shut." Told her Blanc.

"I'd like you to inform us on the results of your mission." Said Histoire towards the girls.

"Oh, yeah, right." Nepgear regained her composure and explained to Histoire and Lelouch what had happened on their journey.

"So you managed to defeat that CFW Brave character in the factory." Lelouch started to summarize.

"Yeah, we darn tootin did!" said Neptune.

"You were also called to Leanbox to stop rioters, but that whole situation turned out to be a decoy, in order to stall for time for Trick to kidnap Histoire." Lelouch continued.

"Well, IF and the others stayed behind to insure that everything was alright back in Leanbox." Corrected him Vert.

"Right." Replied the boy.

"That explains the events that have transpired so far. But during the time I was being held captive CFW Magic managed to take control of Planeptune." Said Histoire.

"So that's why some of the citizens tried to get in our face." Deduced Neptune.

"Magic. She is the one from back then. Can she really be defeated?" Lelouch thought to himself, remembering the quick work she made of the CPU Candidates, how she was toying with him, and how barely the CPUs managed to push her back.

Neptune noticed that he was thinking about something.

"Hey, chillax. We're gonna do great." She said, hitting the boy on the back.

"Right now our course of action should be to confront Magic and reclaim Planeptune." Said Histoire.

"I agree." Stated Noire.

"Then let us not waste any more time." Said Vert.

"I can't wait to settle the score with that bitch!" said Blanc a grin forming on her face.

"And off we are! Wish us luck Histy!" said Neptune in her usual cheerful tone, as she and the group departed.

Histoire was left at the Basilicom.

"I wish all of you good luck and I pray that you return back safely." Histoire said to herself holding her hands together worried.

"At this rate he will awaken. I can't take proper measures without alerting Neptune and the others. Oh, what should I do?" Histoire was saddened by her dilemma.

* * *

 **Whew. Another chapter gone by. I think i got out the angered and revenge centered side of Lelouch, though still keeping his selfless goals, something that captivated me back when i watched CG for the first time. I found his character full of potential, even beyond CG, i guess there wouldn't be a lot of CG fanfics if that werent true :D. We are getting close to the big reveal guys! I hope you all have your suspicions about Lelouch's true identity, and yet i really want to believe that i will present you with something that you would not expect. Though that's just wishful thinking on my part, think nothing of it :). I finished this somewhat ahead of time, cause tomorrow i'll most likely be piled under work that i neglected (again XD. Don't worry guys nothing i can't manage through). Anyway thanks for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	15. Enter despair

**Before we start i just want to thank you guys for sharing your opinion with me. I saw what you meant about the last chapter being a little on the fast side (who am i kidding it was like a bullet train :D). I'll try my best to avoid that in the future and explain everything thoroughly. Anyway enough from me. You all came here to read the chapter not my comments :). Please enjoy.**

Chapter 15: Enter Despair

The gang was heading towards the location of CFW Magic.

"It might not be the best time to ask this, but do we even have a plan?" asked Lelouch, a little concerned that they were going in just like that.

"Why would you need a plan, when all of us are here in top shape, huh?" said Neptune, criticizing the boy's doubting.

"Indeed, Neptune's right. This time we will defeat her for sure." Stated Vert.

"*Sigh* Great, optimism to the end, I see. Both of you were very reassuring." Sarcastically remarked Lelouch.

"We'll give it our best and win! We don't need anything more than that." Said Noire, feeling hyped.

"Yeah, and when we do, we're gonna make sure that bitch pays for what she did!" said Blanc, hardly keeping her anger hidden.

Lelouch realized he wasn't going to change their minds and instead turned to the CPU candidates.

"How are all of you feeling?" Lelouch asked the little girls.

"We're great!" replied Ram.

"Uh- huh." Added Rom.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be okay." Said Nepgear.

"Yeah, on the other hand when you see that things start to get out of hand, you should get back." Told him Uni.

"Do you think I'm the type of person to leave someone behind?" Lelouch asked with a smile on his face.

"Nope." Smiled back Uni.

It seemed as though everyone was prepared for the fight to come.

"Well then, this is it. It's all or nothing." Lelouch thought to himself, as he too strengthened his resolve.

They finally came face to face with the CFW.

"Welcome all of you. I didn't expect for you to come so soon, but no matter." Said Magic, as a sadistic smile formed on her face.

The CPUs and Candidates transformed and readied their weapons. Lelouch in turn took out his weapons and turned on the energy mode of his blade.

"This is payback, bitch!" Blanc yelled, as she charged at the CFW and tried to hit her with her axe.

Magic dodged out of the way, but found herself surrounded by Neptune and Noire. Just as they were about to strike her, she parried the two with her scythe and pushed them back. She then leaned sideways to evade the spear which Vert had thrown at her.

"I must say, you've improved since our last fight, but…" Magic slashed with her scythe pushing the CPUs back. "It's still far from enough to defeat me."

The four CPUs gathered in formation and executed a combo.

Noire and Vert charged at Magic getting a few hits in. Blanc then managed to stun her with a hit from her axe. Neptune then charged up her attack and slashed through Magic.

The CFW slowed down for a moment.

"Impressive, really. And yet still not enough." She said with a grin on her face.

She then slashed at them with her scythe, sending an energy wave at them.

"Tachyon Transmigration!" Lelouch raised his hands, forming a shield of red energy which protected the CPUs.

The Candidates acted with a formation of their own. Rom and Ram cast ice magic on the CFW, giving enough time for Uni and Nepgear to charge their weapons. They fired at Magic and hit her head on.

"That should've done it." Said Purple Heart.

Sadly, when the dust settled Magic was still standing, with barely a scratch.

"What?!" Uni gasped in shock of how all of their attacks almost had no effect.

"Hmm? Did you expect a different result?" Magic asked with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"Damn it! Nothing's working on her!" raged Blanc.

"Calm down. We need to stay focused!" ordered Lelouch.

He took his sword and slashed at Magic.

"Void Rupture!" his attack caused everything around Magic to turn into sliced bread, except for his opponent who had blocked his attack.

"Yes, that's it. Show me more of what you can do." Taunted him Magic.

"Ghh!" Lelouch was stunned by the CFW's attitude.

"Again! We need to try again!" yelled Noire.

She and Uni attacked Magic together.

Uni provided cover fire for Noire, who was trying to land a hit on the CFW.

Magic was simply evading all attacks with a smile on her face.

"Pathetic." She replied, when she hit Noire with her scythe and sent her flying.

"Noire!" Uni panicked.

Noire got up.

"This is nothing! Come on!" she yelled.

Neptune and Vert were the next to join the fray.

They both assaulted magic with raining swords and spears, but she blocked everything.

"Just die already!" Yelled an angered Blanc.

Rom and Ram cast ice magic on the CFW again, holding her in place.

"It's over for you!" Blanc swung her axe at the woman with her full force and sent her flying a few feet back.

Magic got up again and dusted herself off.

"This is your limit? I'm disappointed by you CPUs." She said turning to Lelouch. "Can you provide better entertainment for me?"

"Tachyon Drive!" the red aura appeared around Lelouch, the lightning still emitting from it.

"How's this! Tachyon Crash!" Lelouch dashed at Magic at a speed faster than she could perceive and slashed through her a few times.

He then came to an abrupt stop and stood across her.

"This is it for you!" he yelled, as all the slashes he had done erupted into explosions of red energy.

After the energy waved off, Magic was still standing, though now she had a very small bruise on her arm.

"What the?!" Lelouch was shocked that she was still standing.

"Yes, that's it. That's what I was looking for. You pass the test!" she said with a grin and appeared before him.

Lelouch remembered this sensation. It was like the first time he had met her. He once again laid powerless before her.

"Now I'd like to hear your answer to my proposal. Will you join ASIC?" she asked with a devilish smirk.

"Leave him alone!" Came the voice of Nepgear, who alongside Neptune and Noire had dashed at Magic.

"Out of my way, pests!" Magic said, irritated at the CPUs persistence, as she swung at them with her scythe and sent them flying.

Lelouch was shocked from the sight and his mind was in chaos thinking how to get out of this predicament.

Sadly, he didn't have time to think as Magic turned to him once more.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"To hell with all of this!" Lelouch raged in his mind.

"I am not joining you and your sick organization, you scum!" Yelled Lelouch in defiance.

"Tch, such a shame to dispose of such talent, oh well." Magic said.

Before Lelouch could react, the CFW's scythe was already in between his chest. He looked at his body and saw all the blood that was on the blade of the weapon, his blood.

"Lelouch!" yelled a horrified Nepgear.

"No!" Cried Neptune.

"Remember, you're the one who forced my hand. Things could've ended differently." Magic said with a smile at the boy whose eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.

She touched his face playfully and tore out her scythe from his body, leaving him to drop dead on the ground.

"No!" screamed Noire.

"You monster!" Yelled Blanc, who was holding the crying Rom and Ram, preventing them from seeing the boy's state.

"You truly are a disgusting being." Said Vert through gritted teeth and tears in her eyes.

"Now then, I guess I shall play with all of you some more before I leave." Magic said with a sadistic smile, as she dashed at the girls.

Lelouch lay on the ground feeling the darkness weighing on his eyes.

"No, it can't end like this! Not like this! I wasn't able to achieve anything!" The boy raged in his final thoughts. The anger and despair overwhelming him.

"I need… I need the power to help those girls!" He thought before the darkness engulfed him.

He was standing in the same void once more.

"If power is what you desire, then you must simply look into yourself." Came the familiar voice of a woman.

Lelouch turned to her and saw her. This time she wasn't fully a silhouette. He could see that she had shining white hair, blue eyes with an inverted symbol of a flying bird in them and was wearing a white and gold dress.

His mind was filled with only anger and despair and he wasn't able to even perceive the woman.

The woman walked over to him and embraced him.

"You never change. Always thinking of others before yourself. You fail to see how much you hurt those around you by hurting yourself." She said in a sad voice as she started to run her fingers through his hair.

Lelouch was in no state to reply to her.

"This place is your mind, dark and empty just like you, and I am nothing but a fracture of a past which you've long forgotten. A past for which you yearn, despite not knowing the painful truth." She said, as she embraced him further.

"Please… Power… I need the power to save my friends." Begged Lelouch.

"I know. Even now you continue to suffer for others. But don't worry, you will not die. All of the pain and suffering, they'll never stop, but you'll not die." She said tears forming in her eyes.

"I beg of you… Please grant me the strength to protect them." Lelouch begged further, unable to perceive what the woman was telling him.

"This is who you are. You'll probably suffer a lot from now on, but you chose that fate for yourself. Know this, even when the darkness consumes you, I'll still love you." Said the woman, tears flowing from her eyes, as she kissed the boy.

Magic had managed to defeat all of the CPUs and they now laid on the ground before her.

"This is the end for all of you." She said sadistically.

Suddenly Lelouch's body was surrounded by a dark light.

"What is this trickery?!" asked Magic baffled.

When the dark light cleared, in the place of Lelouch stood a tall muscular man with long black spiky hair. His armor was pure black with dark red linings. The rest of the armor levitating around him was of the same color. The wings behind his back were broad and looked cybernetic. (If you want a better image of what he looks like imagine a tachyon dragon, but imagine it as armor on Lelouch, also for his hair just try imagining it just a little longer than it is originally and give him a saiyan's haircut. Yeah cheesy I know, but I think it's cool so you're stuck with it :D.)

The man opened his eyes revealing them to be dark violet with a red symbol of a bird in them. He took a look of his new body.

"So this is me?" asked Lelouch, feeling out the power surging within him.

Magic was speechless alongside the CPUs.

"Who are you? Your energy feels familiar, somehow." Magic pointed at the man in utter disbelief.

Lelouch didn't bother to answer her, and continued to check himself.

"Answer me!" She said angered and tried to slash him with her scythe.

Lelouch caught it with his left arm.

"What?!" Magic was shocked.

Then a grin formed on his face.

"It's time for you to disappear from my sight." Said Lelouch.

Magic was stunned from what she heard and was paralyzed with fear.

Lelouch grabbed her by the throat with his right arm and lifted her up.

"How quickly the tables turn." He said with a satisfied smirk on his face.

He then threw Magic away, sending her crashing into a building.

Nepgear was the first who managed to say something.

"L-Lelouch? Is that you?" She asked nervously.

"Y-You're not dead?" asked Noire, stuttering.

The man turned towards the girls and gave them a smile.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright now." as he said that a black metal cybernetic sword, with red crystals in it, appeared in his hand.

He effortlessly blocked Magic who had appeared behind him.

"How?!" She asked in horror. "How could you be so strong?!"

"Void Sever." Lelouch slashed with his sword at her, though she managed to put up a shield to protect herself.

The shield broke and she was sent flying backwards from the impact. She then noticed what had happened to her surroundings where the shield didn't reach. The whole area was cut off, like it never existed.

She started to crawl backwards, trying to think of a way to win.

Lelouch walked over to her and was looking at the CFW.

"I see now. I know what you are. It doesn't matter if you're on their side, you pose no threat to the Deity of Sin!" She yelled.

"We'll have to find out, now won't we? Though you will not get to live that long." He said raising up his left arm at the CFW.

"Dark Burst." A reddish purple energy blast fired off from his palm and engulfed Magic.

"AARGHH!" The energy dispersed and she lay on the ground blood flowing from her wounds.

"Even if you kill me, the Deity of Sin will still revive. We are just vessels of her power!" She said with a triumphant voice. "And when she does, she will put you through hell, fallen one!"

"Then I will just have to deal with her as well. Now, die." Lelouch said, the symbols in his eyes glowing.

Magic was entranced for a second as the light from the man's eyes reflected in hers, and then she suddenly fell to the ground. She lay there motionless. Then some energy came out of her body and flowed back to the Gamindustri Graveyard.

Lelouch then took a deep breath and sighed in relief that that was over.

The dark light shone over him once more, though this time when it disappeared he was back to his original self, with no seeming trace of the huge hole in his chest.

"You're alive!" Cried Noire.

She wasn't the only one. Lelouch could see that some of the girls were crying and others were trying to hold their tears in.

He smiled at them.

"I told you, everything is fine now." he said with a soft voice.

The CPU Candidates rushed over to him and hugged him, crying. He held them for a few moments and let them go.

"I guess, there was no way to avoid killing her, was there." Said Nepgear saddened.

"Yes, this is the second time, too. You should really learn not to be so rash with your decisions. Murder is a sin, you know." Came the mature voice of Neptune, still in her HDD.

"It had to be done." Replied Lelouch.

"Perhaps, but you could've avoided it." Said Noire.

Lelouch gave Black Heart a calm smile.

"That is just how I do things." He said.

"Even so, that still doesn't make your method the right one. Please refrain from such actions in the future. It is bad for one's sanity." Told him Vert.

With that the girls turned back to normal.

"Lelouch what was that?" asked him Uni curious about the boy's power.

"Yeah, you were, like, super scary and awesome back there." Joked Neptune, but still curious.

"I'm not sure. This all happened because I -" Lelouch was interrupted by a huge headache.

He fell on the ground holding his head.

"AAAAHH! Stop it! STOP IT!" he screamed from the pain in his head, until he passed out.

The girls rushed over him.

"Do you think he's ok?" asked Vert, worried.

"C'mon, we have to get him to the Basilicom." Said Blanc.

"Yes, let's hurry!" said Nepgear.

The girls then proceeded to head back to the Basilicom carrying Lelouch along the way. (Is it just me or is Lelouch passing out left and right every second chapter. It kind of bugs me that its so repetitive, but the way I've thought of things, I don't see it happening any other way. I will assume for myself that he is dragged behind like a sack of potatoes, though that clearly isn't the case. You guys can pick any girl you want to carry their sleeping princess, cause I won't mention who's carrying him :D.)

On their way the girls were discussing what had happened.

"What do you think that transformation was all about?" asked Noire curious.

"It was similar to how we transform, though it had its apparent differences." Stated Blanc.

"You know how we are able to transform from the people 's faith right?" Asked Vert.

"Yeah, what about it?" Said Neptune.

"When we do, we feel a small warmth inside us. With this transformation, however, it felt cold. It felt like it was driven solely by negative emotions." Vert gave her theory.

"But what does that mean? Is Lelouch a CPU like us?" asked Ram confused.

"I don't get it." Said Rom quietly.

"Even if he is a CPU, where is his nation?" asked Uni.

"I don't think we're right. Those eyes weren't the same as a CPUs. They gave off a strong presence when I looked into them." Said Nepgear.

"Yes, I felt that, too. When he looked at us, it felt as if I was standing before someone beyond us." Said Noire, recalling some of the events.

"Well, who cares, as long as he is fine, everything will be a-ok!" Neptune tried to cheer up the situation.

"Yes, I agree with Neptune. Let's put our question on the side for now and enjoy our victory." Said Vert, with a smile.

They reached the Basilicom, where Histoire greeted them with a sad face.

"What's wrong, Histy? Why're you being a Depressty?" asked Neptune. (pls don't kill me for that joke. I'm really trying my best to keep to the characters.)

"I want you to be honest with me. Did Lelouch transform while you were fighting?" Histoire asked, concern written on her face.

"How did you know?" asked Blanc.

Suddenly an earthquake started to shake the entirety of Gamindustri.

"What is this?!" asked a shocked Noire.

"That… is the Deity of Sin- Arfoire." Said Histoire, aware that the earthquake was a side-effect of her revival.

"This is the Deity of Sin?!" said Nepgear worried.

"Yes, her power is beyond what any of you can imagine." Told them Histoire.

"Histoire, you've been hiding something from us, haven't you? How else would you explain yourself!" accused her Noire.

"Indeed, I have. But please don't misunderstand me. Everything I did was in order to protect all of you… and him." Said Histoire with a sad voice, as she looked at the boy.

"What do you mean by that? Do you know who Lelouch truly is?" asked Uni.

"Yes. I was hoping that it didn't have to come to this." Continued Histoire.

"Well, then tell us already. We don't have much time, you know." Said an impatient Neptune, curious just like the other girls to hear the truth about Lelouch.

"That can wait. Our first priority is to somehow manage to stop the Deity of Sin. If not at least stall for time." Said Vert.

"I promise you, you will know everything when you get back. I know that it was wrong of me to keep secrets, but I beg of you. Please come back safe." Said Histoire.

"We will. We promise Histy!" said Neptune.

"Until then you will have to look after him until he wakes up. And once we get back you better thoroughly explain yourself." Noire said.

"Thank you everyone." Histoire bowed her head to the girls, who headed out to confront the threat looming over their world, unknowing that a possible second one was lying unconscious among them.

"Now, I guess it is time I corrected my mistakes." Histoire said, as she came down to Lelouch who was lying on a bed and sat next to him. "After all, you were always meant to be the one who decided the fate of this world."

Histoire then waited for the boy to wake up.

Lelouch laid in the dark void of his mind and contemplated on everything.

"What am I? Am I a devil? Or am I an angel?" asked himself Lelouch.

"As a matter of fact, you are a god, actually." Came the voice of the white haired woman.

Lelouch turned to see her.

"A god? Me?" He was confused.

"I want to ask you something before you wake up Lelouch." Said the woman.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Is this the 'you' you want to be, or is it someone else?" asked the woman smiling, already aware of the boy's answer.

"No matter who or what I turn out to be, I will always be myself and no one else." Lelouch said.

"That's what I thought. Could we stay together until you wake up?" asked the woman.

"Of course." Replied Lelouch.

The two embraced.

"I'm so sorry, about everything." The woman started to cry.

"I may not know what you are talking about, but I can say this for certain. Even if I turn out to be the lowest of scum, I will always be glad that you were here for me." He said.

The woman smiled at him.

"Then before you go, will you say my name one last time?" asked the woman, as she started to fade away.

"What is it?" asked the boy.

The woman smiled at him.

"It's Celina." She said, laying her head on his chest.

Lelouch was struck by the name. So many things were building up inside him. He couldn't explain it. The dark void around the two started to become unstable.

He looked at the woman and spoke gently.

"I'll always love you, Celina." He said that, as the two kissed and embraced each other.

Lelouch woke up. He found himself in the Basilicom and saw Histoire who was looking at him.

"I take it, that you want answers." She said. "I cannot help you any further than this. What happens next depends entirely on you."

"Yes. I will decide for myself. But for that I need to know everything." Lelouch said.

"Very well then. I shall remove the seal." Said Histoire.

She placed her hand on Lelouch's forehead and a magic circle appeared.

Then time stopped for Lelouch, who was taken back to the world of his memories.

* * *

 **Yes, finally done. This chapter felt so awesome to write, with all those scenes of Lelouch's inner struggles. What can i say, i like the main character's life to be hard on him. As for the next couple of chapters, they will be centered solely on Lelouch's backstory. I'm putting this out now- I've made it to be a complete rewrite of the original game's backstory. I've thought of explanations about everything, so it makes logical sense (what do you guys think i was doing on my two day vacation? XD). I was also able to think of a way to fit Uzume in the new past of Gamindustri that i thought of, though i'll explain her story if i ever get to write on the events of VII. As for Lelouch's love i believe that some of you have already guessed who she is. For those of you, who have not, however, i'm not going to confirm anything right now and keep it a surprise for the upcoming chapters :D. Also don't worry guys, she won't take Lulu away from the Nep girls, so be at ease. Anyway there will be a lot going on in the upcoming chapters and i'll try to deliver to you my utmost best. As always thank you for reading and have a great day :D!**


	16. Ambitious beginnings

**Before we start, I just want to inform you guys that Lelouch's reliving of the past will be without the thoughts of his self of the present. In short you are reading what he is witnessing, devoid of comments from the present. Anyway with that out of the way, please enjoy.**

Chapter 16: Dark origins and the light they shine part 1 (Ambitious Beginnings)

Gamindustri. A world filled with carnage. War and anarchy had ravaged it to no end. Governments were formed and disbanded in order to prevent further wars from happening. Monsters weren't really considered a major problem, because most of the time they were quickly exterminated by raw firepower. Only the stronger ones were left, as they were few in numbers. This tale of how this dark world changed begins with a fateful encounter between a boy and a girl.

Among the destroyed landscape, was walking a boy. He was 10 years of age and had jet black hair with violet eyes. He was dressed in rugged up clothes, which was normal for the lifestyle he had. Every now and then the boy would stop to look at the grotesque scenery. There were signs that people used to live there, but apparently that had been long before the last war.

"This world sickens me!" growled the boy.

"Those with the power to change it for the better only live their lives in wealth, while everything else is left to rot. Such a world must be destroyed." The boy was talking to himself.

"Hey, you. Why are you alone?" Came the voice of a girl.

The boy turned towards the place he heard the voice from and saw the girl sitting on top of some rubble. She appeared to be his age, had long green hair and yellow eyes. She too was with rugged up clothing.

"I lost my family in one of the wars. Since then I have been surviving by myself." Replied the boy.

"A family, huh? I never had one to begin with, so I've always been alone." Said the girl, putting a finger to her face with a confused expression.

"You're by yourself, too, then." Said the boy.

"Aren't you tired of this world?" he asked the girl.

"Even if I was, I couldn't do anything about, now could I." remarked the girl, clearly making fun of him.

The boy became somewhat annoyed at the girl's attitude, but saw this as an opportunity.

"Then, come with me. Together we will change this wretched world." Said the boy, extending his hand towards the girl.

She started to laugh after hearing him.

"Did I say anything funny?" said the boy, becoming even more irritated.

"No, it's just that, you're a strange one." Said the girl, calming her laughter.

"Though that said, I like you. I'll help you achieve your dream." Said the girl, taking the boy's hand.

"Well then since we'll be working together from now on, I guess we should introduce ourselves." Said the boy. "I am Lelouch."

"Celina." Replied the girl.

"I look forward to our adventures together." She said with a smile.

"Well, let's not waste any more time in this place. C'mon, we'll go somewhere safe." Said Lelouch, as the two children took off.

That day the boy, who had lost everything, and the girl, who didn't have anything, met and it would forever change Gamindustri.

The two were now at an inn in a small town close to the border between the Holy Empire and the North Kingdom. Lelouch had managed to make a deal with the owner to let them sleep at the stables, in exchange the two children would work as staff of the inn for minimum wage. They were both given uniforms to wear instead of their rugged clothes.

The two kids sat in their 'home' for the time. Celina decided to start a conversation.

"Changing the world is good and all, but how are we going to go about it?" she asked.

"It will take time and careful preparation. Also we need to make as much allies as possible. Though that said, right now we will focus on climbing the social ladder." Explained Lelouch.

"And how will we do that?" asked Celina.

"Simple, really. We will start out working small. This inn is the perfect place for a starting point. Not only do we get a place to stay in, but we also get a source of income, plus this place is like a gold mine for information." Said Lelouch.

"Ho, you've really thought everything through. I must say I didn't expect that." The girl joked.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Lelouch offended.

"I mean that I didn't expect you to be so smart, with how you act and all." Said the girl with a triumphant expression.

"Hmph!" Lelouch pouted.

Celina started laughing at him.

A few moths had gone by. The two children were accepted with open arms by the rest of the staff. They solidified their place further by being explicitly good at their jobs. Lelouch acted as inn manager when the owner was gone. A position which he earned after saving the inn from a bankrupt. Celina on the other hand was one of the top personnel, capable of handling any job. They had also started to accumulate enough of savings to soon be capable of purchasing their own living space.

That is how the world worked. If you had money, no matter who or what you were, you had the means to achieve and gain everything.

Lelouch was thinking how well everything was going so far, when he was interrupted by Celina, who had decided to take a break at his desk.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing really, just wanted to relax a little, and this place is the quietest by far." Said the girl.

"Well, suit yourself." Lelouch turned back to his work.

"I knew I was right to go along with you. It's never boring around you, though that cannot be said about yourself." Teased him Celina.

"Well, excuse me for not being a person of interest." Replied Lelouch, not taking his eyes off of the documents.

"I was just kidding you. Come on give me some attention, I'm bored." Complained the girl.

"Then I suggest you head back to work." Replied Lelouch.

Celina sighed and did as she was told.

A year passed and the two were now living in their own apartment. They continued their work at the inn. Lelouch was always taking his notes about events that happened around the world. He stored the information and during his days off he would sort it all out, giving him a clear understanding of what was going on. Celina was also helping him by providing him with information she overheard from the customers.

After their shift ended the two were at their apartment.

"Hmm, it would seem that another one of the cities of the South Republic will fall soon." Lelouch gave his deduction with a grim face.

"Well, it was to be expected given the fact that their governing body managed to make enemies of most of its neighboring governments." Added Celina.

"Yes. And that will change the tide in favor of the east and west. The north is still neutral for now." said Lelouch.

Gamindustri's current four governments were the Holy Empire of the West, with it's unyielding monarchy and vast territory, the Kingdom of the North, it's government was similar to the Holy Empire, with the difference being that it didn't have as much territory and was mostly neutral regarding other nations' wars, the Union of the Independent Workers of the East, a nation comprised of factories innovation and profit, and the Confederate Republic of the South, with it's democratic system. Sadly, all of said nations were either corrupted to the core or were being ruled over by dictators with no remorse for the people's lives. They were all territories with a lot of cities. Most of the time the four were on equal terms, but relations were tense.

Lelouch found this squabble unruly. He suspected that in the center of it all was some personal grudge, it always was. Their current location was in the north-eastern part of the Empire, where conflict couldn't reach them, so they were safe.

Another few weeks had passed when something interesting happened.

At the inn was staying a stuck up noble with his bodyguards. He was challenging other customers to chess, gambling money. Naturally, his attitude was repulsive. The staff were worried about handling the man. Lelouch had grown tired of the man and decided to resolve the situation.

"So are you going to be the one taking over for this fool, manager boy? I like you, you have guts. What is your name?" the man said with a prideful attitude, as his last opponent quickly stood up and made way for the boy.

"Lelouch." Replied Lelouch.

"Well then young Lelouch. I hope you do understand that we are playing for quite the sum here. No turning back now." tried to antagonize him the noble. "We'll each have 30 seconds to make our move."

"Enough time." Replied Lelouch after taking the black king.

"You start with the king?! Hahaha! Don't you know how this game works?" started to laugh the noble.

Lelouch gave a smirk.

"If a king doesn't lead how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" he asked to no one in particular and proceeded with the game.

Soon enough the noble was beat. He was staring in disbelief at what had happened.

"I-I lost?! Impossible!" he said furious, but then calmed down. "No, you bested me, from a loser's position even."

"It was a pleasure playing against you." Said Lelouch with a slight bow of his head.

"Men, give this young man his prize." Gestured the noble.

One of his bodyguards dropped a briefcase in front of Lelouch and opened it revealing a huge sum of money in it.

"Take it. It is your prize after all for winning." Said the noble.

Lelouch gave him a suspicious look.

"Surely you're not giving me such amount of money just like that?" asked Lelouch.

"Ho, you're very fast to catch on. I like that. Yes, my only condition is that I'll let your name be known through the gambling boards, so expect some more company of the higher classes." Said the noble with a smile, hoping to bask in some fame of his own for finding such talent.

Lelouch was very pleased with what he had heard. He couldn't hope for a better outcome. Everything was going just as he had planned it for the moment.

"Well then, I'll take you up on that offer, kind sir." The young boy said.

"Excellent!" said the noble, as he shook hands with the boy.

With that the noble left.

After he got a good amount of distance away everyone congratulated Lelouch on his victory.

After the celebration both he and Celina were now home.

"That was something else." Said the girl, laying on her bed.

"Yes, with this our plans will only progress at a faster rate." Replied Lelouch, who had finished checking the money.

He quickly figured out it was enough to get the two of them into nobility status.

"Soon we will be leaving this place and move to the richer cities." Lelouch informed his companion.

"Yeah, makes you wonder how fast time flies. I can't believe we only came here a year ago." Said Celina.

Things then certainly started to pick up their pace. The inn was starting to get visited by some big shots, who were there curious to confirm the rumor of a boy genius. Lelouch got his challenges and came up the winner every time. With every successful win his fame among the nobles grew, as did his wallet.

A few months had passed, making this the second and final year for the two children working at that inn. On one day Lelouch defeated some hotheaded fat noble, who really didn't take kindly to his loss.

"You're bullshitting me kid! You must have cheated somehow!" raged the fat man.

"Cheating at chess? I'll be very impressed if you ever manage to find something like that." Said Lelouch.

"You're just a brat, whose nose started to stick out because of some fame! I will not tolerate losing to you!" raged the noble as he stood up and was about to punch Lelouch.

Celina got worried for her friend, while Lelouch on the other hand was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the big man's range.

Just as the punch was about to connect, the man's hand was stopped.

Lelouch looked up at his savior. She was a middle aged woman with grey hair and blue eyes, dressed in what was clearly a rich outfit.

"You disgrace! You would raise your hand against children just because you lost?! Get out of my sight!" yelled the woman.

The fat man, got scared and left the inn as fast as he could.

Lelouch and Celina both were shocked by the woman. It was clear that she held quite the standing among the nobles, since she scared off one just with her presence. The question now was why did she help them?

"T-Thank you, miss." Lelouch said bowing his head.

"Don't worry about it." Smiled the woman at him.

Celina rushed over to Lelouch.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"Yes, I'm fine." He replied.

Celina turned to the woman and thanked her.

"Thank you for saving my friend." She said with a smile, that seemed to touch the woman's heart, as she started to gently rub the little girl's head.

The woman then turned to Lelouch.

"Don't be nervous, you're a child after all. Try to smile a bit more often." She said with a soft voice.

Lelouch was dumbfounded for a moment, as this type of treatment was something he had long forgotten.

"I-I will. Once again, thank you." Lelouch said smiling and bowing his head to the woman.

"Well then, see you around." She said, as she waved at the two kids and left.

After they got home, Lelouch and Celina were discussing what had happened.

"That lady was really nice." Said Celina.

"Yes, but I don't trust her." Lelouch said, knowing full well how fake a person's kindness could be.

"You really ought to open up more to people, you know. You're always doubting everyone around you." Pouted Celina.

"That is just how this world made me. I want to make it a place where everyone can be happy, free of corruption, free of hatred." He said, as he started to ponder on the woman's identity.

"Fine then, but the next time we see that lady you will apologize to her for these words." Said Celina.

"If she proves to be worthy of it." Lelouch added his condition.

A few weeks later, the two 12 year-olds were heading towards their workplace. The only thing was that they didn't see anyone on their way, and when they entered the inn, there was no one there too.

"What's happening here?" asked a confused and scared Celina.

"Shh!" Lelouch grabbed her and hid themselves.

There was a gang of mercenaries robbing the inn. The more shocking part of the scenery was all the dead bodies around them.

"Those monsters!" Lelouch thought, as fear and anger took over him.

"What are we going to do?" whispered Celina scared.

"We'll get out of here, come on." Lelouch signaled her to be as quiet as possible, as the two started to exit the inn.

Sadly, as the two children were sneaking away, one of the mercenaries caught sight of them.

"Hey, you guys, it looks like we have some brat company!" he said with a grin, as he alerted his companions.

Lelouch and Celina tried to make a run for it, but were quickly cut off.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" said one of the men.

"I bet you'll fetch a nice price on the slave market." Grinned another one.

"Back off you scum!" Lelouch tried his best to look like he wasn't intimidated.

That was the only thing he could do. He was trying to get their attention, so he could allow Celina a chance to get away.

"A brave brat, aren't ya? Guess we'll have to teach you your place!" said another man, as he kicked Lelouch on the ground.

"Guh." Lelouch groaned in pain.

Celina watched in horror, as the man then stepped on Lelouch.

"Get off!" Lelouch tried to break free.

"Remember this kid! You are and will always be nothing!" said the man, great pleasure was written on his face.

Then, suddenly, a blade ran through his stomach.

"Wha-?!" The man dropped dead on the floor.

The blade belonged to the same woman who had helped the two kids a while back. She was now in black and white armor with neon blue linings.

"You disgusting scum! All of you deserve to die!" yelled the woman, as she prepared her double edged blade.

A battle began, with the mercenaries ganging up on the woman. It made no difference, however, as she slashed through each one with little effort.

Celina got to Lelouch and helped him get up. The kids were watching in awe at the display.

Soon enough the battle ended with the last mercenary falling on the ground, his life fading. The woman then turned to the children.

"Are you two ok?" She asked with a worried face.

"Y-Yes." Stuttered Celina.

Lelouch was still trying to get over what he had seen, and didn't reply.

The woman then, hugged the two.

"Thank goodness. I was worried that I would be too late to save anyone." She said.

"What happened?" asked Celina, who was on the brink of tears.

"It would seem that a large group of mercenaries has taken over some part of the town. The police are engaging them as we speak." Replied the woman.

Lelouch then managed to say something.

"I'm sorry for not trusting you!" Lelouch said, as tears were starting to form in his eyes.

The woman smiled at him and embraced him further.

"It's ok. The two of you must have been through a lot. I understand." Said the woman.

"C'mon, let's go gather your belongings and we will leave this place." She said with a smile.

"Ok." Replied the two children.

They then went over to their apartment.

The woman was shocked to see all the old and new newspapers, which were organized like a time table, and on their sides were written expectations of events to come.

"Is this your work?" asked the woman intrigued.

"Yes. We've been doing this for two years, now." said Celina.

"What for?" asked the woman.

"To change the world, of course." Came the voice of Lelouch.

"But, you two are just children. It's too much responsibility for you." Said the woman.

"If we don't do it, then who will? Not some nobles who only think about themselves. Not the ordinary people who are too scared for their own lives to do anything." Said Lelouch in a dramatic tone.

"And aren't you two scared?" she said.

"I'm scared, but I will not allow anything to get between me and realizing my dream!" Lelouch stated, pride in his eyes.

"It won't be just you, remember? We're doing this together." Added Celina, the same fire burning in her eyes.

The woman took notice of that. She couldn't help but smile at the ambition of these little kids, who were willing to put everything on the line, something that most adults would never think of.

"I will not allow you two to do so." Said the woman.

The two kids were shocked for a moment, until the woman smiled at them.

"Not by yourself anyway. I will help you to make that dream a reality." She said with a soft voice.

Celina and Lelouch both became very happy after they heard that.

"Thank you." Said Celina with a smile.

"We're really grateful to you miss…?" Lelouch remembered that they didn't know their savior's name.

"Arfoire." Smiled the woman.

"I am Celina, it's nice to meet you miss Arfoire." Said the little girl happily.

"My name is Lelouch and I just want to let you know that I'll never forget this act of kindness miss Arfoire." Lelouch said, as he bowed his head.

"Please, just Afoire is ok." She said.

The two kids gathered their belongings and were ready to go. They also had a few briefcases with them full of money.

"Well, let us depart." Said Arfoire, as she helped the two children with their luggage.

"To where Arfoire?" asked Celina curious.

"To my residence of course. You two will be under my wing from now, that way you will be safer." Said the older woman.

"Sorry if my question comes off rude, but who are you Arfoire?" asked Lelouch.

"I am the last remaining member of a noble household from the North Kingdom. I had four children once, one girl and three boys, but I lost them in the last war." She said with a sad tone.

"I'm sorry for bringing up such a painful matter." Apologized Lelouch.

"Don't worry about it. You two don't seem to be strangers from the feeling of losing something. It's awful for two young children like you to have gone through something as horrible as that" Afoire smiled kindly at the children.

With that the three departed from the city. They traveled from the small town and crossed the border, arriving in a secluded mansion surrounded by forests. There they lived under the same roof and prepared themselves in order to achieve their ambition.

Arfoire got her servants to get new clothes for the two children. The kids shared what they had done until then and how far their plan had progressed.

"I see. I must say, that's a very thorough plan." Arfoire congratulated Lelouch.

"Yes, Lelouch is very smart, but he is very weak." Remarked Celina.

"Hmph!" Lelouch pouted at the girl's comment.

"Haha. Don't worry we'll work on that later on." Said Arfoire with a smile.

"Right, now the two of you must prepare. You must become people capable of achieving your dream." She added.

"Yes." The two kids replied.

For the next six years the two children would study under Arfoire's guidance. Lelouch and Celina would go through countless books a day. She also started to teach them how to fight with a sword. Both kids were really fast learners, but it was obvious that Celina had more talent in the area of combat. Lelouch on the other hand was progressing at an unprecedented rate in the field of furthering his knowledge. Sometimes he would accompany Arfoire on some formal meetings, shocking the crowd around him and receiving praise for his intelligence.

As time passed on and Lelouch and Celina grew older, they started to consider Arfoire as family. The older woman, too, became attached to the two and had unconsciously started to think of them as her own.

Both kids were starting to gain popularity among the Kingdom's citizens, as tales of their exceptional prowess began to spread. Naturally this attracted the attention of people and soon they had more sympathizers to their cause. Soon there were enough people to form an organization that spread through the whole North. They would come to be known as The Black Knights, as their members were doing vigilante work and ensuring justice throughout the nation.

Lelouch had become the head of the organization and was the one making the decisions. Celina and Arfoire were his most trusted companions, as he would always consider their opinion on matters.

The Black Knights, however, being the type of organization that they are, quickly made enemies. Enemies that opposed their ideals. They were soon dragged into a civil war for control over the whole North. Lelouch always acted as tactical commander in times of battle, ensuring victory for them with his brilliant strategies. Celina was on the front lines, her battle prowess shined brightly, as she delivered victory after victory alongside Arfoire and the rest of the Black Knights. With every battle everyone started to realize that there was a meaning for what they were fighting for. The meaning of true peace.

On the year that Lelouch and Celina turned 18, they had already desolated their enemies' forces. Arfoire would watch as the two children she had rescued grew up into leaders before her very eyes, pride filling her that she was able to help them get so far.

Lelouch and Celina, however, would always bicker about something in their free time. But that never got in their way during battle. With every one of the six years passing by the two's bond grew, and with it they started to develop feelings for one another.

One day while they were at their residence, Arfoire had noticed the two to be walking around in the snowy garden. She decided to watch them from the side.

"Hey, Lelouch." said Celina.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you remember how we started out?" she asked.

"Yes." Replied Lelouhc.

"Back then I thought I would help you just because there was nothing else for me to do. I thought that you were an interesting person, who wasn't scared of giving his ideals life. At first I was only helping you, but your dream started to grow on me, until it became mine as well." She said smiling towards the boy.

"And? Do you regret your decision?" asked Lelouch with a smile on his face.

"Oh, shut up, you." Said Celina, as the two then kissed each other.

"We've already reached the point of no turning back. From now on it is all or nothing." Smiled Lelouch. "It doesn't matter what awaits us, this world will burn in the flames of revolution."

"No matter what, we will always stay true to each other and our dream." Said Celina, as the two embraced.

"It makes me so proud to see them so happy together." Said Arfoire, a soft smile forming on her face, as she left.

Soon things started to fall into the Black Knights' hands. Lelouch's hands. The king and his followers had fallen under him and his organization. The other three nations ignored what was happening, much to their arrogance. Lelouch would use that to his advantage. The Black Knights' ideals spread around Gamidustri taking root everywhere. The only thing left for Lelouch to do was to wait and plan. A plan to usurp the other nations' governments and place the whole continent under the Black Knights' banner.

(Back then the South Republic or Leanbox of present day, was still part of the continent. How it became an island we'll find out a little later. And if you are wondering Planeptune is the west, Lastation the East, and Lowee the North.)

With his rise in power, the North Kingdom became a prosperous nation. Lelouch had taken the role of monarch for the nation and his governing body was comprised from members of the Black Knights, who he personally selected for their intelligence. The nation's finance grew and so did its military. The people were living their lives free of worry, because the new rules of trial for crimes, set by the Black Knights' government, were enforced upon criminals, which lowered the crime rate.

Lelouch stood in his office sorting out some documents, when Arfoire and Celina entered.

"Good evening you two." He said.

"Good evening, our sources have gathered the information that you requested." Said Arfoire to the young man.

"How are we going to take control of the other nations?" asked Celina.

"Quite simple, really. We will wait for the perfect opportunity. In other words; the meeting between the four nations' governing bodies." Lelouch said with a smirk. "That will be the time for us to strike."

"But that is in 4 months." Complained Celina.

"The more time we have to prepare, the better our chances of success." Said Arfoire.

"Exactly." Said Lelouch.

"Well since you're here and all would you care for some tea?" invited them Lelouch, who had a tea pot next to his desk.

"Gladly." Replied the two women, as they sat across the boy who poured the tea in their cups.

After taking a few sips Arfoire continued the conversation.

"It is so nice to be able to spend time like this together." She said with a smile.

"Indeed." Replied Lelouch.

"So, how are you two coming along?" asked Arfoire, curious, as she looked at the two next to her.

Lelouch almost coughed up his tea, when he heard her.

"What?!" he said shocked.

"As you can see, he is really insecure about it." Replied Celina, apparently the two women had been talking about Celina and Lelouch's relationship.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me Lelouch. I know that you are head over heels for Celina." Smiled Arfoire, Celina on the other hand was enjoying the boy's embarrassment.

"Both of you should mind your own business!" Lelouch said, blushing.

The two women laughed at the boy.

(P.S if I'm doing something wrong and you have the idea that they are all grown up now, it's not like that. Lelouch and Celina are still only 18. Arfoire is much older than them, but since you hit maturity after 18 'I think' I think that I should refer to Lelouch and Celina as young man and woman. Anyway sorry for the interruption.)

The next 4 months, however, would prove to be life changing. Nothing could prepare Lelouch and Celina for what was to come next.

* * *

 **Ok, so far so good. Now i'll explain somethings. First: Lelouch does not yet posses any powers. Second: I decided to add Arfoire to Lelouch's past because she is considered the Deity of Sin, and with Lelouch being a god there would obviously be some connection. Third: This was a prelude to the events that will lead to Arfoire becoming the Deity of Sin (I thought of the part of her having four children, because of the four felons :), how original am i 'not'). Fourth: So yes Celina is C.C (or at least my version of her). And finally: What is the connection between Lelouch and Histoire? That will be answered next chapter :D. Thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day.**


	17. Ascension

**Hi guys, so a quick note before we begin. I regret to inform you that Nunnaly will not really be playing a part in this story, only for the fact that she will influence Lelouch's persona and be one of the catalysts for later on events in this origin story. With that out of the way, please enjoy.**

Chapter 17: Dark origins shine their light part 2 (Ascension)

It was a sunny day. For Lelouch, however the day didn't seem so bright. He had decided to take some time off from the work in his office and was taking a stroll inside a forest. He was wearing a black business outfit with jeans and boots of the same color. He noticed, however, that he was being followed.

"I know you're there. You can come out now." He said with an annoyed voice.

Then from behind one of the trees appeared Celina, wearing a sleeveless white uniform with a high collar. The lower end of the uniform splat into four long pieces that nearly extended to the floor. Her overall look was complete with boots and leggings, as well as elbow sleeves.

"And I was really trying to." She said disappointed in the fact that she had been noticed.

"What is it? Do you need me for something or do you just want to spend your time teasing me?" he asked, really hoping that it wasn't anything important.

"I was just curious, as to why you left without a word to anyone? So, what's bothering you?" Celina asked intrigued.

"C'mon, let's go, I'll explain along the way." He said, gesturing for her to follow him.

The two were now walking along side each other.

"The truth is that I've been thinking of my family." He said, not letting on much.

"Your family? You never really talk about them, why so, if you feel like sharing, that is?" asked Celina.

"Well you remember that I told you that they died in the last war, right?" he said.

"Yes?" Celina replied.

"The truth is that's not really the case. I come from a family of nobles, well royalty to be exact.." Lelouch said, expecting a violent reaction from his companion at the revelation.

"Well I had suspected as much, though I didn't make my decision because I thought that since you were hiding it, there must be a reason behind it." Said Celina.

"You're not angry?" Lelouch asked confused.

"Why would I? You're telling me this of your own volition. I have no right to judge you." Celina said smiling at him.

He smiled back.

"You could, however, tell me more about them. What type of people were they?" asked Celina, curious to know just from what came to being the person she loved.

"Well, where should I begin? Maybe I should start with how we were back then." Lelouch said, after having thought for a moment.

"My father is the current emperor of the Holy Empire. He, alongside my older half siblings are some of our main enemies." He said.

Celina was shocked to hear that.

"Are you sure you want to go against your family?" she asked him.

"Yes, I have little to none feelings left for them." Lelouch said, before he continued.

"My mother was one of that man's wives." He said, aggression towards his father clear in his voice.

"I also had a younger sister. Her name was Nunnaly." He added, as his voice became quieter and saddened.

"If it's hard for you to talk about it, then you should stop." Said Celina, worried for Lelouch.

"No, you have the right to know the truth. Anyway, we lived an ordinary life, me and my sister. We would meet and play with our half siblings every now and then. As a whole I was living the same life full of ignorance like the rest of the nobles. I was a really gullible and naïve kid back then. To be clear, I never felt any type of real attachment towards most of my family. In that case were my mother and father as well. They weren't exactly the perfect parents. The only thing that I had was my little sister." He said, taking a breath before continuing.

"That said not all of my half siblings were scum. Some were compassionate towards others, and some tried their best to uphold justice, while others were selfish to the downright essence in their bones. Every time I would get the chance I would listen to them talk about their views of the world." He paused to think for a moment.

"Most of my time I would spend looking after and playing with Nunnaly. Just spending time with her was enough to make me feel like the world around me didn't matter and that as long as I was with her everything would be ok." He said, his tone getting grim.

"My younger sister was a really kind and beautiful girl. She was so pure, her soul devoid of negative emotions. She was always happy, always smiling, always… always…" Lelouch started to get at a loss for words as he recalled that fateful night. A night that would change him forever.

"You should stop." Said Celina worried.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. It's just that this is the first time I've shared this with anybody." He said, before continuing.

"That fragile childhood soon came crashing down, however, on one night. Me, mother, and Nunnaly were together at our villa, when we were assaulted by terrorists. They gunned down mother in front of me. Naturally I was paralyzed from the gruesome act, unable to move. Then a thought came to me. Those people were going to hurt my little sister too. I immediately ran for her room. I found her coming down, curious at what all that noise was and grabbed her and ran as fast as I could. I tried my best to save my sister, but I failed. Just as we were about to leave the house, I was caught by one of the terrorists and was thrown back inside. I'll never forget what happened next. The bastard shot Nunnaly, right as she was running towards me. I caught her falling body and started to cry. She smiled at me one last time, before closing her eyes. That was when I felt something. A feeling that I remember to this day. It felt like complete emptiness, nothing. I just sat there and cried with the body of my sister in my arms." Lelouch said, as tears were flowing from his eyes.

Celina hugged him.

"The terrorists then thought that instead of shooting me, they would burn down the entire villa with me still inside. I was in no state to even conceive what was happening around me. I don't remember everything clearly, but I know that I soon found myself surrounded by fire. I ran with Nunnaly's body in my arms. I tried to get out of the burning building with the body, but it was no use. I wasn't strong enough to carry her and be able to get out. And so I did the one thing that I truly hate myself about. I left her body inside the burning building and ran, ran from everything." Lelouch said crying, as he was remembering his awful deed.

"I continued to run away until my body gave out on me. The feeling of emptiness filling me. It wasn't even despair at that point, I was just a walking shell that should have just stayed in the fire and burned." He said filled with hatred for himself.

"And yet I survived. Naturally, all of that changed me. It made me the person you see before you today and most importantly, it shaped my dream. I dreamed of a world where I would never see something like that ever again. This all happened two years before I had met you." Lelouch said, as he was starting to calm down.

Celina embraced him further.

"Lelouch, what do you think? Does the pain of losing love hurt more than the one of never experiencing love?" asked him Celina, as she too recalled her early life prior to meeting him, tears forming in her eyes.

How she had been mistreated since she was a kid. She was always alone. No one would ever give even a small look of concern towards her. For her it always felt like the world was against her existence, that it wanted to crush her. But now, she felt different. Lelouch had appeared in her life and saved her from the nightmare.

"I can't even begin to comprehend what you felt like back then, but I know that now everything is all right. We're together now, so you'll be fine." She said smiling, as the tears flowed in her eyes.

Sharing each other's pain, the two kissed slowly and gently.

"I will never allow anything to happen to you, I swear on my life." Said Lelouch, as he held her close to himself.

"And I won't let you ever to suffer by yourself again." Celina replied, as she cried and brought their heads close together.

They stayed like that for a few moments until they both calmed down and were able to return to their normal selves.

"Let's go. We've sulked and cried enough already." Said Celina smiling.

"Yes." Lelouch smiled back.

They went on with their walk, holding each other's hands. They enjoyed their walk among the calm forest. Celina suggested they stopped at the river and took a break. When they reached the shallow water current, the two sat down on its banks and took in the scenery.

"It's so calm and quiet here. It makes you want to lie down and forget about everything." Celina said, as she did just that.

"Indeed." Lelouch smiled.

Then, Lelouch noticed something, something glowing from the river.

"Hey, C, what's that?" Lelouch asked, using the nickname which he had given her, knowing full well that she didn't enjoy it, and pointing at the light.

"What's what, my dear Lulu?" She asked sarcastically, using the same tactic on him.

She then looked at where the boy was pointing.

"What's that light?" She asked curious.

"It's coming from the bottom of the river." Lelouch said.

"Let's go check it out!" Celina said, as she stood up and went towards the light, Lelouch following her.

The two quickly went over to the source of the light, entering the shallow waters of the river.

"This, better be worth it." Lelouch complained, as the water was to his knees, and had made quick work of his jeans.

"Quit your whining." Scolded him Celina, who too wasn't really satisfied with the fact that her leggings and uniform were soaking, too.

The two came to a stop when they found the source of the light. There were two crystals lying on the bottom of the river. One was white and gave off a golden light, while the other was black and gave off a dark purple light. Lelouch picked them up and showed them to Celina.

"Wow, these are so beautiful! I've never seen crystals like these." Said Celina amazed.

"Me neither. I wonder what they were doing in the river. Perhaps someone lost them?" asked Lelouch.

"Well, we found them, so how about keeping them? There's no harm in having something like that." Suggested Celina.

"I don't know, these things are really an eye catcher. Perhaps it would be best if we left them here?" Said Lelouch, who wasn't sure about their find.

"Oh, come on, stop worrying about such minor details. Give me one I want to see it up close." Celina said.

"Fine then, suit yourself." Lelouch handed her the white crystal.

The moment he did so, the two crystals started shining brighter.

"What the?!" Neither of them were given any time to react, as the light engulfed them.

When Lelouch opened his eyes, things felt a little strange. Particularly strange. His body felt 'different'. The crystal in his hand was gone and he turned to where Celina was standing, only to be left speechless.

"Who are you?!" Replied the two, as they were startled at the sight they witnessed.

"Celina, is that you?" Asked Lelouch.

"Lelouch?" Celina asked in turn, unbelieving what she was seeing.

The two had a huge change in appearance. Both of them looked to be in their late 20s. Starting off with the fact that she was now taller, Celina's hair was now pure white ,which was flowing down from the left and on the right was styled upwards as part of the left side (It's so hard to explain haircuts when you don't know their names :( , I hope I gave a rough idea of what her hair looks like), her eyes were a shining blue with an inverted symbol of a flying bird in them. She was wearing white and golden armor, with wings and other guard pieces floating around her. Lelouch couldn't help but notice, however, one particular change. Her chest, where before it was a standard C, now it looked to be a D. She quickly noticed where his gaze was.

"Stop looking at me like that, you perv." She said, blushing.

Lelouch quickly turned his gaze away from her.

"I was just noticing your changed appearance, that's all." He lied, blushing.

"Yeah, right." Celina replied, though she could understand him.

She too was looking straight at Lelouch with wide eyes. She was looking at a tall man with a muscular physique, with spiky black hair and dark violet eyes with the symbol of a flying bird in them. He wore black and red armor, the same set of things levitating around him.

Celina started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Lelouch, annoyed at the girl.

"It's just that, I've never imagined you with such a physique and knowing that it is you, it makes me want to roll on the ground with laughter!" she said, continuing to laugh.

"Why you!" Lelouch got really irritated from her comment.

Then their little bout was interrupted by another light. When it diminished the two saw a small blond girl, wearing a uniform, with pixie like wings. The strangest part, however, was that she was floating on a book. Both Lelouch and Celina were staring at her, only further confused of the situation and were wondering what was happening.

The girl noticed their confused expressions and decided to start a conversation.

"Greetings, my name is Histoire. I am a tome, whose purpose is to record the history created by the CPUs." She said introducing herself.

"What's a CPU?" asked Celina, who didn't really get anything.

"Where did you appear from and why did we change in appearance?" asked Lelouch.

"I will answer all of your questions. First off let's start out with what a CPU is. A CPU is someone chosen to receive great power and protect the world. In other words, you can think of it as being a god." Histoire started her explanation.

Her two listeners were paying close attention to what she was saying. She thought that it was very satisfying to know that her words weren't going to waste. (Oh, poor Histy, stuck with Neptune, never to be payed attention to again XD.)

"As to where I appeared from, I was created the very instant the first CPUs awakened." She continued.

"Really, then where are they?" Asked Celina, curious.

"Standing right before me." Histoire said with a smile. "The crystals that allowed you to change in appearance are known as Sharicite."

"I see, so those crystals, were in fact the source of this." Replied Lelouch.

"As you are the first CPUs, however, you two were born with a special power, only available to the strongest CPUs. The Geass." Histoire continued to explain. "It varies between every CPU, though yours are a matching set, something very rare."

"What is this, Geass?" asked Celina, confused.

"The symbols in your eyes. They represent your status and your affinity." Histoire continued. "Yours, miss, is a light Geass, while the mister's is a dark Geass. Their powers, as I have already said, are identical, but still have some minor differences. Whereas your Geass of light is capable of turning those around you friendlier and listen to your every word, the Geass of dark is capable of destroying all free will, rendering those who are the targets completely obedient to the user. The Geass is an absolute power, it works on every living being, even other gods."

Lelouch then found something interesting.

"Will it have an effect on you?" he asked.

"No, I have an affinity that allows me to not succumb to the Geass." Explained Histoire.

Lelouch was amazed at all the information he heard. He and Celina possessed power that no one else in this world had. Power which they could use to further their dream.

His thought process was interrupted by Celina.

"So you mean to tell me that Lelouch and I are gods?" asked Celina, baffled.

"That is correct." Confirmed Histoire.

"Wow, so we got supernatural powers just like that? From a mere coincidence?" said Celina still amazed at the whole situation.

"Nothing happens by chance. You two were chosen to become the first CPUs of Gaimdustri." Corrected her Histoire.

"Hahaha!" Lelouch gave a satisfied laugh, which confused his companions.

"What's wrong, why're you laughing?" Celina asked him, confused at his behavior.

"Can't you see, with power like this we are sure to never fail. Perhaps Histoire is right. Maybe we are fated to change this world." Lelouch said to Celina, his eyes beaming with a newfound passion.

Celina thought about what he said for a moment and agreed with him.

"Yes, you're right. With this we can achieve our goal for sure." She said, happily.

They both hugged each other overjoyed at how everything had turned out. Then it suddenly hit them.

"How do we turn back to normal?" asked Celina.

"Oh, that is fairly easy, you just have to concentrate on the form you were in before and you'll change back." Told them Histoire.

They both concentrated for a moment, when light flashed around them and they stood in their human forms once more.

"This is handy." Remarked Lelouch.

"Yeah, because otherwise we'd have to look for a new wardrobe." Said Celina, relieved that she was now back to normal.

"I might as well tell you this now. After becoming CPUs you stop to age." Said Histoire.

The two's jaws dropped.

"What, you mean we're going to stay like we are now forever?" asked Celina, shocked.

"Yes. In your human forms you can still access your powers, though they will be considerably weaker compared to if you are in your HDD." Said Histoire.

"HDD?" Lelouch was curious.

"It stands for Hard Drive Divinity. That is the name of the forms you were in a minute ago." Said Histoire.

"So in short we are immortal." Lelouch said.

"No, your aging stops, but you can still be killed. A good advice to give is that when in your HDD, the only thing that can kill you is something that manages to overpower you, but by my analysis of this world, there isn't anything that can stand up to a CPU's full might." Corrected him Histoire.

A grin appeared on Lelouch's face.

"With this our success is assured." He said turning to Celina.

"Yeah, but we have no idea how to control these powers, now do we." Remarked Celina.

"You needn't concern yourselves with that. I can instruct you on how to use your powers to their full potential." Assured them Histoire.

"Then there really isn't anything left to hinder our plan anymore." Said Lelouch, satisfied that at long last he had the means to achieve his dream.

"Before I do so, however, I want to know what you intend to do with those powers." Replied Histoire, curious at the two CPUs.

"It's obvious, isn't it? You said it yourself, a CPU protects the world. Then in that case, it is the CPU who will change the world." Lelouch said with a smile.

"I take it that both of you are resolved to such a goal?" asked Histoire, curious at their aims. She had never heard of a CPU, neither two for that matter, who were aiming to completely reform their world.

She received serious looks from both Lelouch and Celina.

"I see, then it will be my great honor to help you on your quest." Said Histoire with a smile.

"Alright then. Let's head back." Said Lelouch, as the two girls followed him.

They arrived back at the residence, and were greeted by Arfoire who was surprised at the sight of Histoire. Lelouch and Celina explained everything to her and she was dumbfounded.

"So you mean to tell me that you two are gods now?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, indeed." Said Lelouch.

Arfoire then turned to Histoire, curious of the little girl.

"What is your opinion of the matter?" she asked.

"I believe that any action taken by the CPUs in favor of Gamindustri is crucial. Their purpose is to oversee the world and they also have the right to do anything they want with it, as long as it will benefit everyone." Said Histoire.

"Is that, so?" said Arfoire.

"Then how about we see those supposed powers of yours?" asked Arfoire the boy and girl.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Said Celina, as she concentrated and a light flashed around her, changing her appearance.

Arfoire's jaw was almost about to fall off when she saw that.

"It was strange at first, but now it feels kind of natural." Said Celina.

"C'mon, aren't you gonna do it, too?" she prompted Lelouch.

"Don't rush me!" he said, annoyed that he had to show off.

A dark light appeared around him and he too transformed. He now stood in his HDD, pleased that he could grasp changing forms so easily.

Arfoire was staring in disbelief.

"Both of you are like completely different people!" she said shocked.

"Yes, the HDD form is the base of a CPU's power, so it is natural that it would change their appearance." Explained Histoire.

"Histoire, I was meaning to ask you this earlier. What exactly are our powers, aside from the Geass that you already told us about?" Asked Lelouch.

"Well, first off, this form grants you an absolute boost of strength. The form also comes with a weapon of choice for the CPU. The other thing is that you are capable of accessing different types of battle prowess, though they vary among individuals." Said Histoire.

"How do we get the weapon you speak of?" asked Celina.

"It's simple, just like when you transform, you need to focus on the weapon you wish for. Be careful, however, because it is only one type of weapon and it is the one the user is most capable of handling, which prevents you from materializing other types of weapons. After you do it a few times, it will start to feel like a natural reaction, so you will be doing it subconsciously without any effort whatsoever." Explained Histoire.

"Ho, then let's give it a try, shall we?" Lelouch said, as he concentrated really hard on a weapon he could use.

He only had experience with swords and guns, but it would seem that his favored weapon was the blade, as a black metal cybernetic longsword with red crystals appeared in his right hand. He looked at the sword, marveling at it.

"It sure is a looker, but can it hold up?" asked Lelouch.

"Yes, a CPU's weapon is indestructible." Said Histoire.

"Ooh, I want to try, too." Said Celina, as she replicated the process.

A long golden blade appeared in her hand.

"This is really neat." She said, while looking at the blade.

"Well then, since both of you got the hang of it, let's move on to teaching you how to use your powers." Said Histoire.

Arfoire was baffled by all of this. Such otherworldly power. It was unlike anything she had seen before. And that power was in the hands of the two children she had rescued.

After a long training session, Lelouch and Celina were exhausted, as they transformed back into their human forms.

"It would seem that Celina has an affinity for light magic, and Lelouch, strangely enough, for tachyon and dark magic." Said Histoire, as the two tired CPUs were lying on the ground.

"This is really hard." Complained Lelouch.

"Yes, right now since you are new to using your powers, it will be hard. But as long as you commit enough time, you will be able to master using your powers without a problem." Assured them Histoire.

"Well, we have 3 months until it's time to act , so I guess, we could spend them training." Suggested Celina.

"Agreed. It would be beneficial for us to master these powers." Said Lelouch.

Celina then jumped up, an idea having popped in her head.

"Hey, I know, how about we gave different names for our HDD forms? We do look different after all." Said Celina, clearly enjoying herself.

Lelouch thought for a moment and then answered.

"You're right. It would help us to not get recognized in those forms." Said Lelouch.

"Great! Then, how about… no, that's not it…" Celina started to think through various names until she came to a stop.

"I know, how about this. I will be known as CPU Light Heart and you as CPU Dark Heart!" she said overjoyed at her idea.

Lelouch couldn't help but cringe at the names she had just given them.

"Are you sure? Can't it be something less, I don't know, catchy?" asked Lelouch.

"Those are wonderful, I believe it best that you use those names." Said Histoire happily.

"Yes, they give off a distinct description, too." Agreed Arfoire.

"Right?" Celina was beaming with joy from her idea.

Lelouch gave a sigh of defeat and decided to roll with it.

"CPU Dark Heart, huh? It actually has a nice ring to it." Lelouch thought to himself.

"Lelouch, if you prefer, you can go with Grumpy Heart." Joked Celina.

Lelouch gave her a stare.

"I'll keep to the original, thank you." He brushed off her joke, crossing his arms.

The three women laughed at him.

For the next three months Lelouch and Celina would train to master their new powers. They would grow in strength rapidly, which only fueled their fire. The knowledge of their power was only known to Arfoire and Histoire, who helped them prepare. Soon the fateful event would be upon them. The time would soon come for the two CPUs to establish the new world they were dreaming of.

* * *

 **Ok, things are progressing smoothly for now. As you may have caught on, i plan to use Lelouch's disdain for his family later on. About their CPU names, don't judge me guys, i'm really trying here. As for those of you who will ask why i didn't went with ZERO, then i assure you that the name will pop up later on :) and play a vital role in this origin story. As for my interpretation of the Geass, the one Celina has looks like what Jeremiah had after he became a cyborg. I believe that the way i introduced the geass gives openings for so much more possibilities, like imagine some of our favorite CPUs to have that at their disposal. Anyway about the concept of shares, i'll explain that too later on in the story. As always thank you guys for reading and i hope you have a great day :D (Because if things go the way i imagine, i'll be dead by the end of the day XD.)**


	18. Conquest

**Hey guys! Before we begin i just want to say that i had a blast writing this chapter. My favorite moment of Code Geass was when Lelouhc brought the entire world to its knees before him. I'm going to say this in advance: I hope i did a good job with Lulu's character this chapter because i don't know if i wrote some of his dialogue the way his character is, so i apologize about that if you deem my work a failure compared to Lelouch's original speeches in the show. Anyway without further ado, please enjoy :).**

Chapter 18: Dark origins shine their light part 3 (Conquest)

The meeting was in two days. Lelouch and Celina were able to achieve perfect control over their powers for the 3 months they trained. They now spent their time preparing themselves for their debut on the world stage. Lelouch was giving his orders to the entirety of the Black Knights and made sure there would be no errors in his plan, he also made sure that every member was aware of his and Celina's powers. On the day before they left, Lelouch, Celina, Arfoire, and Histoire had gathered together for a cup of tea.

"It will soon be time." Lelouch said, his hands gathered together, as he was with a serious expression.

"Indeed. Soon everything will fall into place." Said Arfoire, who took a sip from her tea.

"Everything has been prepared accordingly, now the rest is up to you two." Said Histoire to the two CPUs.

"Oof, all of you should relax a little. Everything will go just fine." Celina groaned, as she slumped in her chair, trying to sound assuring.

"It will, if you let me do the talking." Said Lelouch.

"What do you mean by that?!" Celina took offense to his comment.

"I meant that I want you to leave the diplomacy to me. You can just be there alongside me for the show." Joked Lelouch.

"You're so mean sometimes, you know that?" Celina said, as she started to pull the boy's right ear.

"Ouch! Cut it out!" Lelouch said, freeing himself from the girl's grip.

"It is good to see that both of you are in high spirits. That only means that things will turn out alright." Said Histoire with a smile.

"Yes, I couldn't agree more." Added Arfoire.

The fateful day soon arrived.

Both Lelouch and Celina were in their HDD forms, dressed formally. Lelouch was wearing a black suit with a red tie, his look complete with black pants, boots, and gloves. Celina was wearing a light blue dress with high heels and white sleeves. The two CPUs, alongside Arfoire, entered the meeting hall. It was a giant room with a large podium in the middle of it, four different corners of the room acted as the standings for every nation, there were also seats on the side where bystanders like media or other important people sat and overlooked what was happening. The two received curious looks from the people already inside, as they entered.

Among all the people, Lelouch noticed his father, a tall man with grey hair and beard, to be looking directly at them with a challenging gaze. Lelouch returned the same look to the man, as he and Celina seated themselves in their respective seats.

"So this is the leader of the mighty Black Knights that took over the North? What a joke." Said Lelouch's father as he was testing the new arrival of his persona.

Lelouch noticed that and decided to reply.

"Surely your opinion of me will soon change." Lelouch said, holding back all the emotions building up inside him. "I can probably guess, why this meeting was scheduled. It is concerning my actions, is it not?"

"Indeed, your recklessness can cause another war to break out! With all the sympathizers to your cause, you've caused nothing but internal mayhem within the other nations!" Said a man, who was apparently the president of the South Republic.

Lelouch gave a smile.

"Well, it was my intention of doing so from the beginning." He said, a smirk appearing on his face.

The governors of the other three nations quickly stood up after his statement.

"You, do you plan to start another war?!" Said the man who was currently acting as the head of the Union of Independent Workers , terrified of the concept.

Their bodyguards held Lelouch, Celina, and Arfoire at gunpoint. The two CPUs were unfazed, however, at the development.

"State your name and intentions, demon!" demanded the President.

Lelouch couldn't help but laugh. Laugh at their helplessness. Oh, only if they knew what he had in store for them.

"Mind sharing with us what is so funny?" asked coldly Lelouch's father, the emperor of the biggest out of the four nations.

"I was just really pleased with your reactions, that's all." Lelouch said, calming his laughter.

He then stood up from his seat.

"I am CPU Dark Heart, leader of the order of the Black Knights." Lelouch introduced himself in a flashy manner.

"The lady right next to me is CPU Light Heart, my dear accomplice." He continued, introducing his partner.

"And as for my intentions, they're rather simple really." Lelouch said, giving a pause before his big proclamation.

"What is it that you want?" asked the President of the South Republic.

"I want everything. Down to the smallest grain of sand, everything will belong to me." Lelouch said, a sick smile appearing on his face, as he watched the crowd gasp in shock.

Then the building was stormed by Black Knight troops holding everyone at gunfire.

"How did we not pick up their presence on the radar?!" Yelled one of the enemy soldiers in disbelief, before being put on the ground and held at gunpoint alongside his colleagues.

That was the handy work of Lelouch. He had used his Geass on one of the soldiers to shut down the radars, leaving the whole building open for taking over.

The other governors didn't take kindly to this, as they started throwing insults at the methods of the leader of the revolutionaries.

"You coward! You'd held everyone at gunpoint for just achieving your goals!" Accused him the head of the East Union.

"There is no such thing, my men are just here to ensure the peaceful flow of this meeting. Please, all of you, feel free to sit back in your seats and let us continue our discussion." He mused his words, enjoying every second of this whole act.

"What is it that you want to discuss?" asked the emperor, intrigued.

"I came here today to give all of you a choice." Lelouch said, as he extended both of his arms.

"You can join me in the new world I'm going to make." He said raising one of his hands to the side.

"Or defy me and face annihilation." He said raising his other arm.

"What is this new world you speak of?" asked the President of the South Republic, curious.

"I'm going to make this hellhole that we all live in, a place where there is no corruption, no unnecessary conflict and most importantly, there will be order." Lelouch said.

The other governors started to think about what he had said, when Lelouch's father spoke.

"You are a fool to think that you, a simple man, can grasp control like that. There will always be those who will not agree with you and your ideals!" He said with a cold voice.

Lelouch could feel every part of his being yearning for the time he would see the man's face when he realizes the truth. The anger was building up to fast, however, and Lelouch couldn't keep it in for much longer.

"With that said, I do not think myself a lesser fool like you. I will not agree to your silly prating about ideals, when you clearly have no idea of a way to realize them!" Yelled the man.

After those words Lelouch snapped, he was through listening to that man. He vanished and reappeared in front of his father, punching him in the face and sending him flying. Everyone was shocked at the display.

"I will not stand to listen to that disgusting voice of yours anymore!" Lelouch yelled.

The emperor managed to pull himself back up, a smile forming around his face.

"You've already lost." He said.

Then a bullet flew at Lelouch from one of the soldiers who had managed to regain his composure. Normally it would've hit Lelouch, not that it would've actually hurt him, but Celina was worlds ahead in terms of speed. She quickly caught the bullet between her fingers, then appeared next to the soldier, who had fired his gun, and kicked him in the head, sending him crashing through one of the walls.

Everyone was shocked at the display.

"Mindless ants like you have no right to be in the presence of a god." She said.

Then a firefight was about to erupt when Lelouch raised his voice to all of the soldiers in the room.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled, releasing some of his aura, the lightning from it starting to decimate the concrete around him.

The soldiers were immediately frozen from shock.

"No one will open fire, unless I give the order, too." Said Lelouch to his subordinates, then turned to the enemy soldiers.

"And as for all of you, all of you will obey me from now on." Lelouch said, his Geass glowing and entrancing the soldiers.

"Yes, my lord!" He received a salute from all the soldiers.

He smiled once again, this power was perfect for him, no, it was meant to be his, from the very beginning. Lelouch could feel excitement filling him.

"Who are you and what is this power?" asked Lelouch's father, overwhelmed by what he had seen.

The other governors were standing still, frozen with fear, and expecting what was going to happen next.

"I guess, I shall tell you the truth, before I end things." Lelouch said with a smirk, enjoying the man's dilemma.

"You still haven't figured it out, old man? Well then allow me to spell things out for you. I am Lelouch, the son who you left for dead along with his sister and mother." Lelouch said, anger in his tone.

"You are alive?!" His father was shocked, and for some reason so were the other governors.

Lelouch gave a sick smile at the man's realization.

"Indeed, I've waited for this day for 10 years. Now everything will be as it is supposed to be, as I deem it to be." Lelouch said.

"You're here for revenge for your sister, is that it? You speak of justice and peace when all you have on your mind is revenge for the dead." The older man said with disgust.

Arfoire couldn't help but start doubting Lelouch.

Lelouch frowned at his words and his expression darkened. Then he calmed down and smiled at something. Something amusing him deeply.

"It doesn't matter what any of you think. Everything is already in place. This world will change with or without all of you. But for now I still have use for you all." Lelouch said with a grin.

"I'll ask you this. Did any of you had a hand in the assassination of my sister?" He asked through gritted teeth, as his Geass activated once more.

The three governors, nodded and started to explain.

"The assassination was meant to further develop trust between the nations." Said the Republican president, entranced.

"It was something that we all agreed to." Added the head of the East Union.

"The opportunity was too valuable to miss." Said Lelouhc's father.

Lelouhc then felt it. The anger, the rage, bulging inside him. There was one more thing. Subconsciously he could hear a voice.

"Destroy them, you have the right and power to do so." Said the voice in Lelouch's thoughts.

Lelouch smiled and started to laugh maniacally.

"Hahahaha! Yes, that is what I was waiting to hear. I retract my offer that i made earlier. All of you will die here." He said, then turned to the Black Knight soldiers.

"Exterminate every person in this building." He gave the order in a cold voice, his Geass activating again, not allowing his soldiers any defiance of his orders.

The soldiers opened fire, killing all members of the meeting, except for Celina and Lelouch, while Arfoire couldn't believe what she saw. The two CPUs and the older woman now stood across a room full of bodies.

"This is fate, dear father, and it has chosen me." Lelouch said coldly, looking at the corpse of his father.

Arfoire was standing on the side, horrified at everything that had transpired. Lelouch and Celina were keeping secrets from her, the assassination of every person in the room, Lelouch and Celina's changed attitudes towards their goals, all of those things were against everything that they had worked for their entire lives. The two were now bent on using every means to achieve their goals, something that Arfoire could not stand for. She immediately thought that it was the power affecting them, causing them to turn away from the right path. She kept quiet, however, as now was not the time to confront the two.

Celina walked over to him. She wouldn't question him, she knew full well the hatred and lust for revenge. And how could she, when she too had killed people for her own selfish reasons. She believed that no one had the right to deny him, a god with the power to change or destroy the world.

She embraced him softly.

"It's over now, let's go, our dream awaits us." She said softly, while hugging him.

Lelouch calmed down at the sound of her voice and the touch of her skin. Whenever she held him, he felt like all the pain was gone, everything that had ever tormented him seemed as nothing but a bad dream. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Yes, to destroy evil, one must become an even greater evil." He said, as the two kissed.

"Now then, let the show begin." Lelouch said with a smile, as the Black Knights started a global broadcast.

Lelouch appeared on every screen, standing in the middle of the podium of the building.

"Attention entire world, hear my proclamation! I am CPU Dark Heart leader of the Black Knights!" He said dramatically and with a smirk.

The whole world was watching, every person shocked to see what was happening. No one knew what to expect so they stood silently and listened to what the god had to say.

"For too long has our world been left to the strong and wealthy. They grand it into nothing with their selfishness, leaving those under them to rot." Lelouch continued his dramatic speech. "The very same people that were too blind to see the destruction around them, now lie in my feet, punishment for their ignorance befallen them."

"I am not telling you all this to make you fear me, no. I'm telling you all this because a new age is upon us. An age where crime will not be overlooked, corruption will not be allowed to take root. An age of peace and prosperity, where every person will be able to lead their life free of the fear of being killed." Lelouch said dramatically, knowing full well what the people of the world wanted to hear.

"That is the world that I shall bestow upon you all. Nothing will stand in the way of the new order, for it shall burn in the flames of revolution. From this day, from this moment forward there will be only one nation, reaching across the whole continent, uniting all people as one. I welcome you all, to the birth of Britannia!" Lelouch finished his dramatic speech, raising his right hand to the side of himself, as if inviting every person watching.

Naturally, his performance was perfect, as every single person that day chanted the words: "Hail Britannia!"

Lelouch could feel the excitement welling up within him. There was also something else, a warmth. Celina could feel the very same things. Arfoire just stood on the side, unsure of the two's ideals now.

On the next day, Lelouch and Celina announced their ruler ship. Both of them were standing in a large arena in front of a massive crowd. They were in their HDD forms. Lelouch was dressed in a black and gold robe with a cape of the same colors (imagine what he wore as Julius Kingsley only without the mask and make the cape a little longer). Celina was wearing a white and gold dress with black linings.

"People of Gamindustri, proud citizens of Britannia. This day marks a new beginning for our world." Celina started the speech.

"Gone are the dark times of the past, gone are those who would oppose change! The order of the Black Knights shall ensure peace and order throughout this world! Those who try to oppose us will fall before our might!" Lelouch continued.

"We, the CPUs, vow this to all of you." Said Celina.

"We shall never fall and as your new rulers, we welcome you to this new golden age of peace!" Finished Lelouch.

The crowd in the stadium, and everyone all over the world, stood up with right hands to their hearts.

"All hail Britannia! All hail the CPUs!" chanted the crowd.

With that Lelouch and Celina had finally achieved their dream. The world was theirs now and they could do anything they saw fit. Britannia had four main cities. Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox. Four Basilicoms were built in every one of them, as the CPUs' primary estate and work office was in Planeptune, since both of them were born in the western part of the continent.

They were entitled the god and goddess of Gamindustri. Histoire became the oracle for the new nation. While Arfoire harbored her worries that the two CPUs would eventually do the same that they did to the former governors to all the people. She would not allow that. She would take action and prevent the two power driven children from destroying everything.

How wrong she was, however, as she failed to see the beauty they had achieved, blinded by the destructive nature that she had witnessed. Gamindustri prospered under their rule and became the ideal world they had been seeking together.

Still these lovely times would soon come to pass as well. A shadow slowly grew inside one of the CPUs. A shadow, born of hatred and regret, a shadow which would destroy bonds, condemn its host, and tear apart everything that they created.

* * *

 **Before i begin to hear why i didn't introduce Charles as a character, i'll say this. This backstory is centered mainly around Lelouch, as it is his origins after all. I hope you understand why i didn't go into full detail on the unimportant side characters that i was just going to kill off anyway XD. Anyway next chapter will be the finish of this backstory and things will resume in the present. I think that i went a little overboard at the end, with the hints, but no matter. Thank you guys for reading and i hope you have a great day :D!**


	19. Descent into madness

**Whew, this took quite some time to finish, but it felt so satisfying too. I really tried my best for this chapter and I sincerely hope all of you enjoy it. Without further ado, please enjoy.**

Chapter 19: Dark origins shine their light part 4 (Descent into madness)

A few years had passed after the CPUs came to power. The whole continent was peaceful and the people idolized their gods. The Black Knights were disbanded, because there was no need for a military organization like them anymore.

Lelouch was standing in his office finishing with the documents at his desk. Then Celina walked into the room.

"I believe I've told you countless times to knock before entering." Said Lelouch, annoyed at the sudden entrance of the young woman.

"Big deal, it's not like you're busy at the moment." Said Celina, exhausted.

"I take it that you have finished your assignments?" asked Lelouch.

"Yeah, it was really boring and it felt like forever until I finally finished with everything." Complained Celina, as she dropped herself on the sofa in the office and started to roll on it.

"*Sigh* You know, it'd never hurt you to act more lady like." Said Lelouch not impressed by the display.

Celina gave him a stare.

"Oh my, I'm being told how I should act by someone as bland as an empty whiteboard." She joked at the boy.

"If you've come to spend your time making fun of me, I suggest you find something better to do." Said Lelouch, clearly annoyed from the girl.

"In that case, how about we go out somewhere, just the two of us?" Celina suggested.

Lelouch blushed a little.

"Alright then, get yourself in a presentable appearance and we'll go somewhere of your choosing." Lelouch said, leaving a sigh at the end.

"My dear Lulu, you should try to be more tactful. You're really lacking in the romantic department. It's usually the guy who asks the girl out, not the other way around." Groaned Celina, as she stood up and started walking outside of the office.

"Sure, I'll put it on the bottom of my to do list. Now off you go" Remarked Lelouch, as he shooed her away from his office.

Celina left him, ignoring his statement.

Lelouch was now by himself.

"*Sigh* I guess I should go and take a bath as well." Lelouch complained to no one in particular.

After an hour both of them were ready. Lelouch was wearing a white shirt over which he had an unbuttoned grey suit jacket, jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. Celina was in a black top over which she had a red slim long trench coat, which was in contrast with her long lime green hair, slim jeans, and a pair of dark violet sneakers.

"Well then, where to, my lady?" Lelouch joked, as he gave her a slight bow.

Celina didn't take kindly to his joke, as she punched him in the shoulder.

"Let's just walk around town." She said.

Histoire was coming downstairs and saw the two as they were about to leave.

"Going out you two?" She asked.

"Yeah, we'll try to get back before nighttime." Said Celina.

"Ok, then I hope your day goes well." Said Histoire with a smile, as she set the two off on their date.

Histoire watched as Lelouch left, not waiting for Celina, his hands in his pockets. The girl quickly ran up to him and grabbed a hold of one of his hands, both of them exchanging complaints and the two continued on. Histoire giggled at their silly way of showing love for each other.

They walked around for a half an hour until they decided that they should stop somewhere to grab a bite. As if by fate there was a Pizza restaurant near them.

"We're not having pizza." Said Lelouch noticing where his companions' gaze was.

"Oh, come on, I'm really in need of some pizza right now." She complained pulling his arm towards the direction of the restaurant.

"You always say that! The only thing that I've ever seen you eat, for the last couple of years, is pizza!" Scolded her Lelouch, as he was trying to break free from the woman's pull.

"But it's so tasty, I can't help it! C'mon, if we go I promise that we'll do what you want next." Said Celina.

"*Sigh* Fine, but only one, got that!" Lelouch reluctantly agreed.

"Alright!" Said the girl overjoyed.

They entered the restaurant. No one knew that they were in fact the CPUs, as they only knew how they looked like in HDD. They ordered a pizza and something to drink. When the pizza arrived Celina's eyes were sparkling with anticipation. Lelouch then had to wage a battle for his own share of the pizza, as Celina was eating it up at an unprecedented pace. He sadly failed to eat almost anything, and was forced to order another one. The process was repeated two more times, with Lelouch having eaten overall a half of a pizza.

They were on their way again, with a certain boy being displeased about the fact that he ate almost nothing.

"Oh stop being so grumpy, come on I promised that we'll do whatever you want, so have at it." Said Celina trying to make him stop pouting.

Lelouch thought for a moment and then decided on something.

"Let's go and take a sightseeing detour." Lelouch said with a smile.

Celina was confused at first when he brought them to a back alley with no one in it. Lelouch then transformed into HDD.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" He asked her.

Celina caught on to what he had in mind and transformed as well. The two flew off into the sky slowly gliding in the air enjoying the view under them.

"This was a really romantic idea, for your standards. I guess you deserve some reward for your efforts." Said Celina, as she flew up to Lelouch, kissed him and then dashed off without him.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh, fine by me." Lelouch said as he flew after her.

They spent the rest of the day racing each other in the sky above the clouds, enjoying themselves to the fullest.

Unknown to them, Arfoire was in an alley by herself pondering on everything.

"How can I make them listen to me, without making them concerned?" Arfoire was in the middle of a dilemma.

"It's simple lady, you just need to get in their face and do what ya have to do." Came a voice.

Arfoire turned to where the voice came from and saw a small girl, who looked like Histoire, the difference being that this one looked more sinister.

"Who are you?" Asked Arfoire.

"The name's Croire, but that doesn't matter. You're having trouble, right? Then let me give you a hand, here." Said Croire, handing some type of dark essence to Arfoire.

Arfoire reluctantly took the thing. The moment she did, however, the energy entered her body.

"What is this thing? What did it do?" She asked panicked for a moment.

"Chillax, it's an energy boost that can help you stand up to the CPUs." Said Croire.

"Really, then with this I can surely change their minds." Said Arfoire, filled with hope, unaware of the true capabilities of her new power.

"Wonder how things will go from here, now that I've given her an ability of a CPU slaying monster, that I encountered on one of my previous journeys. That thing could drain the power of the CPUs and use it for itself." Thought to herself Croire, leaving Arfoire.

By the time Lelouch and Celina had returned to the Basilicom it was late at night. The two sneaked in, in order to not alert anyone of their late coming back, mainly Histoire. They got in their bedroom and prepared to go to sleep.

"Hey, Lelouch." Celina said while changing into her sleep wear, behind the door of the locker.

"Yeah?" replied Lelouch.

"I really enjoyed myself today." She said with a smile, as she appeared in her pajamas.

"Hmph, then I guess the day wasn't a waste after all." Said Lelouch with a satisfied smirk on his face, dressed in shorts and an unbuttoned white short sleeved shirt.

The two kissed and fell on the bed, allowing their passion for each other to possess them for the rest of the night.

On the next day Lelouch woke up before Celina. He gave her a kiss and got up.

"Mmmm, just five more hours." Groaned Celina in her sleep.

Lelouch rolled his eyes in disappointment.

He took a bath and brushed his teeth. He went downstairs to have breakfast. In the dining room he met with Histoire who was enjoying her morning tea.

"Good morning." He greeted her.

"Oh, good morning Lelouch, I didn't notice you were up." Said Histoire.

Lelouch made himself some tea and checked what he could make for breakfast. He opted for sandwiches with cheese and bacon.

He set his food on the table and sat across Histoire. While he was having his breakfast Histoire was doing a crossword puzzle.

"Hey, Histoire, … can CPUs reproduce?" He asked a little embarrassed.

"Well they can't in the ordinary sense of the word, but there is a rare chance for a CPU's power to diminish with time, as that can cause the birth of new CPUs who can be considered siblings to the original. Once a CPU is no longer capable of using their power, it leaves them to create a new being from the mold of the precursor, so in a way you can think of it as having children, though like I said the chance for that to happen is extremely rare." Explained Histoire.

Lelouch was a little surprised at the explanation, but didn't want to press the matter.

Then Celina entered the dining room, clearly not spending the effort to comb her hair.

"Lelouch, please be a dear and make me something to eat." She said slumping in one of the chairs, still sleepy.

The young man gave a sigh and went to make her a few sandwiches.

"Good morning, Histoire." Said Celina, half asleep.

"Good morning to you as well Celina, would you like to listen to what I informed Lelouch about?" asked her Histoire.

"Hmm?" Celina was curious.

After Histoire finished her explanation, Celina was kind of dumbfounded at the situation.

"Though with all of that said, what caused you to be interested in the topic?" the oracle asked Lelouch, who turned as red as a tomato.

"N-Nothing in particular, it just came to mind, that's all." He quickly replied, hoping to avoid where the conversation was going.

Celina laughed at him for being embarrassed.

Later that day, they were confronted by Arfoire, who wanted to discuss something with the two CPUs.

"I want you two to step down from the position of power." Said Arfoire.

"What, why?!" asked Celina, shocked.

"All the unnecessary deaths you caused after gaining these powers have lead me to believe that you have no control over your desires." Said Arfoire.

Lelouch became angered at her.

"This is about when I ordered the execution of the governors, isn't it." He said, angered that Arfoire would doubt his decision.

"Yes, this power that you have is going to destroy both of you! Histoire is probably hiding something from you!" Said Arfoire, putting her hands on the two CPUs' shoulders.

"I'm just worried about you, I don't want you to be destroyed by some power that invaded your lives." Said Arfoire, as she activated her new ability, which she received from Croire.

"No, stop, don't do it!" tried to stop her Histoire, but was too late

Arfoire drained some of the powers of the two, before they pried her away from themselves.

"What did you do?!" asked Celina, confused and afraid of what had happened.

"I just… I just… AAARRRGHH!" Arfoire tried to answer her when a pain took over her entire body.

Lelouch and Celina were horrified to see, their energies flowing through the woman's body, slowly altering it.

Histoire teleported Arfoire far away from them.

"What was that?" asked Lelouch, anxiety overtaking him.

"That was what happens when someone who is not meant to possess powers of a CPU, acquires them. The person's body is altered to accommodate the power." Histoire started to explain with a grim tone.

"However this case is a very dangerous one, because one person absorbed the powers of a dark and light CPU, a mixture of those powers is something that defies the laws of nature." Explained further Histoire.

"Light and dark CPU? What's the difference between the two?" asked Celina, confused from the situation.

"A light CPU is a CPU whose role is to uphold peace and ensure the safety of the world which they rule. A dark CPU, however, acts like a light CPU normally, but when the world, which they govern is ensued by chaos it is the dark CPU's role to act as a failsafe, in other words to eliminate the root of the problem by any means necessary." Said Histoire.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Lelouch.

"To put it simply a light CPU is a god of creation, while a dark CPU is a god of destruction. I didn't want to tell you this because I feared that you would do something that would end up in a catastrophe." Said Histoire, worried.

"In short, Celina is a light CPU, … and you Lelouch are a dark CPU." Finished her explanation Histoire, saddened that they had to learn the truth like this.

"Never mind that, what happens when someone acquires both powers?" asked Celina, worried for Arfoire.

"It usually results in the host being assimilated by the two opposite powers. It is like trying to keep one's self alive from two forces of nature, which are trying to destroy you." Histoire explained.

Lelouch and Celina became extremely worried for Arfoire.

"You've got to get us to Arfoire, now!" Said Lelouch.

"Right, but please be careful!" said Histoire, as she teleported the two CPUs to the location which she had Arfoire.

The two found the woman struggling with the forces trying to overwhelm her.

"No, Arfoire, you've got to fight it!" Cried out Celina, as the two approached the woman.

Her body was now almost completely altered. (She looks like True Deity of Sin now, the form which isn't the giant monster.)

"Aaargh… Haah… " Arfoire was struggling to keep her sanity.

Lelouch noticed that and grabbed the woman by the shoulders.

"Snap out of it! Don't allow it to consume you!" He pleaded.

Arfoire looked at the two with tears forming in one of her eyes.

"I'm… sorry…" She said with one last smile, as the energy within her erupted, sending the two CPUs flying away from her.

When the energy cleared away Lelouch and Celina were shocked at what they saw. Arfoire stood before them in a CPU's battle armament, though it clearly looked sinister and unnatural.

"Who are you and what did you do to Arfoire?!" Yelled Celina, as tears formed in her eyes.

The thing looked at the two CPUs.

"I am the Deity of Sin. My purpose is to destroy, destroy this world." Stated the thing.

Lelouch and Celina were shocked. It was clear that thing wasn't the Arfoire they knew and loved as a mother. The two were filled with sadness, because despite their great power they couldn't save the one person who mattered to them. They both transformed into HDD, resolved to not allow the thing to have its way.

"Return Arfoire to us, right now!" Demanded Lelouch.

"That being no longer exists. There is only I." replied the Deity of Sin.

"You're lying!" yelled Celina, as she dashed at light speeds, appearing in front of the thing and slashing it with her sword.

She failed to do even a scratch and the thing tried to slash Celina with a double edged giant sword lance which appeared in its hand. The female CPU dodged out of the way.

Lelouch appeared behind it.

"Take this! Dark Burst!" The dark blast hit head on, though it didn't seem to have any effect.

Lelouch jumped back to where Celina was standing. The two were now facing a threat that far outmatched their wildest nightmares.

"Tachyon Drive." The red aura with lightning started to emit from Lelouch.

"Light Drive." Celina was surrounded by white aura.

The two then dashed together at the Deity of Sin, resonating their slashes.

When the two finished The Deity of Sin was still standing as if nothing had happened.

"Shit! This is bad!" Said Dark Heart.

"We will stop you!" Yelled Light Heart.

"Empty words from CPUs who don't even understand the fact that I am far stronger than the two of you." Said the being. "You have no hope of stopping me."

With that the Deity of Sin ran off to cause the chaos it was meant to. The two CPUs followed after it engaging it in a fight countless times. All fights ended in the same manner, with the Deity of Sin receiving minor damages and the two CPUs racing after her. Their struggle brought them to the South part of Britannia. There their fight would rise up in scale, as the three had channeled their attacks and the clash of the three energies had destroyed all land in the blast's proximity, causing the South part of Britannia to become an island. (P.S. I'm not going into a lot of detail of this fight, because I want the fights later on to have a reveal of some of Dark Heart's skills and ultimates except the ones I've already shown.)

The fight didn't stop there, as the three beings fought without rest until they reached the place that would later come to be known as the Gamindustri Graveyard.

There the two CPUs were at their minimum and the Deity of Sin didn't seem to be in best shape, as well, because she was just as exhausted as the other two.

"You cannot defeat me, I possess both of your powers! You're just wasting your time with all of these charades!" said the being.

"No, *Pant* we will stop you!" declared Light Heart.

"You will not be allowed to destroy the world we've worked so hard to build!" said Dark Heart.

"You still say that, even though you know that it is because of the nature of the power which I absorbed from you that everything is happening the way it is. You can't run away from the truth of your existence." Said the false Deity to the two CPUs.

"We will fight to our very last breath, truth and fate, they can all go to hell, we will make our own future!" Said Celina.

With that the battle resumed again.

Lelouch dashed at the Deity of Sin.

"Light Prism!" Celina said, encasing the male CPU in a shield of light energy.

"Tachyon Crash!" Lelouch slashed through the thing countless times, then reappeared next to Celina.

"Tachyon Transmigration!" He raised a barrier of red energy on Celina, as the CPU prepared her attack.

"Divine Waltz! Celina became shrouded by a current of light, as she attacked the possessed Arfoire, at incredible speeds, her attacks forming a beautiful maze of light strings.

The two CPUs now stood side by side once more.

"Shatter!" They both yelled, as the energy from their attacks erupted causing massive damage to the Deity of Sin.

The thing seemed to have felt that one, as it was on one of its knees lying on the ground.

"I guess, *Pant* you aren't as weak as I made you ought to be." Said the thing.

Lelouch and Celina were exhausted too, but they couldn't stop now. They needed to finish the fight. They walked over to the downed goddess.

"What, aren't you going to finish me off?" Sarcastically asked the Deity.

The two didn't have it in them. To them she was still Arfoire, the person who saved them as children and gave them a place which they could call home. Neither of them could destroy the very one person who helped shape them into what they are now.

The Deity of Sin saw their hesitation and acted at lightning speeds.

Then it happened.

Lelouch was in shock to see the blade of the possessed Arfoire in between Celina's chest. The girl had little time to react too, as she was wide eyed, with blood flowing from her wound.

"NO!" Lelouch yelled, as he kicked the Deity away and held Celina in his arms.

The wound was huge, and yet Celina stood up once more, some of her aura starting to close it.

"What are you doing, you have to lie down?! We need to get back to Histoire, quick?!" Lelouch panicked.

"No, if we do that, she'll recover and everything up until now would have been a wasted effort." Replied Celina. "There is only one way. We need to seal her!"

Lelouch tried to calm himself down.

"You're right." Lelouch said, as he took a hold of himself.

The two were now prepared for their final confrontation with the Deity of Sin.

They vanished and appeared right before her, placing one of their hands on the being.

"Arfoire, you shall be sealed away for all eternity, this is our order!" Said the two, not giving time for the possessed goddess to react, as the Geass in their eyes shined.

"No! I will return and destroy this world that you favor so much!" yelled the Deity of Sin, as she started to fade away turning to energy, which dispersed into the place where they fought.

That is how that became the Graveyard, the once beautiful landscape, having absorbed the energy of the Deity of Sin, would start to rot and decay with time.

That day a nightmare began. A nightmare that would devour and plunge into madness.

Lelouch could only watch in horror, as his beloved's chest wound opened up, blood spilling from it.

He quickly caught her, before she could fall on the ground, as she transformed back to her human form.

"No, please hold on, I'll get you to Histoire right away!" Lelouch started to cry.

"It's useless, we both know that you can't get there on time." Celina smiled at him, tears forming in her eyes and blood starting to come from her lips.

"NO! I order you to live! Please, live! Please, don't leave me!" Lelouch cried, tears flowing from his eyes, his Geass not taking effect.

Celina saw his desperate attempts and smiled weakly.

"Don't worry, everything will be all right." She said tears flowing from her eyes, as she placed her hand on his face.

"No, it won't! I need you! I can't move on without you, please, don't leave me!" Lelouch started to beg, his tears not stopping, until some of them became blood.

"The only thing that I can do to help you now is this." She smiled weakly.

With her last strength, she kissed Lelouch.

"I really enjoyed the time I spent with you. Thank you for changing my life. I will leave you with my final wish and dream." She said, with a weak smile and tears flowing from her face.

"You will not die, for I'll forever love you, Lelouch." She said weakly, her Geass taking effect on Lelouch, her eyes closing, but her calm smile still there.

Lelouch's soul was shattered. He stood there with his love's body in his arms. Once more he had lost what mattered to him the most. Once more he was alone in this hell.

He then let out a scream, which shook everything around him.

"AAAAHH!" Lelouch was consumed by despair, the pain and emptiness settling in his heart once more.

There was nothing, again. Again he suffered. Nothing had changed.

After screaming his broken heart out Lelouch returned to the Basilicom in Planeptune. Histoire was horrified when she saw Celina's dead body in his hands. They buried her and gave the news to the people.

From that day emotion would stop to show on Lelouch's face. He would work, day by day, year after year, to prevent the country, which he and Celina created, from falling apart.

Histoire noticed the change in the young man, but didn't have it in her to comfort him, because it was her fault for keeping things from them. It was her fault for not resolving the situation with Arfoire years before.

With every passing year Lelouch would hear a dark voice in his head.

"This world hurt you, right? Then it is only fair that you hurt it back."

"Look at them, living happily. They do not know the pain and suffering that you endure, nor do they care."

Those were some of the things the voice would say.

Soon the pain became too much for Lelouch to endure. He had tried a couple of secret suicide attempts, but it always ended in the same way. When he would kill himself, he would wake up after a couple of hours, his body being as if it was never hurt.

That only furthered Lelocuh's despair. He was unable to set himself free of the curse of this hell. He could not go to where his once beloved sister and lover were. The voice would start to become more persistent, as time passed on.

Histoire once caught the boy in the middle of one of his suicide attempts.

"What are you doing?!" She screamed in horror, as she took the blade, with which he was about to stab himself, from him.

"It's no use Histoire. I can't end this. This curse, I can't break free of it." Lelouch said holding his head, his sanity barely withholding, as he slumped slowly on the floor.

"I know that I cannot do anything to help you, but, please, don't torture yourself! It's not what Celina would've wanted!" Histoire said tears in her eyes.

She could not watch him destroy himself. It broke her heart.

"I can't. All of the pain, and that voice, they don't stop, in fact they get stronger, can't you see?" Lelouch said with a sad smile and tears flowing from his eyes.

Histoire didn't know what to do to help the boy. She had no clue how heal his broken soul.

A few months passed after that event, and Lelouch wasn't becoming any better. In fact, things became worse. He would often burst out into an uncontrollable rage and would thrash everything around him.

Then that day came. The day that the last of Lelouch's sanity disappeared.

Histoire had entered his office, only to find him struggling with something in his mind and being possessed by rage.

"Lelouch, please, stop this." Begged Histoire.

The boy didn't listen to her, instead he only muttered things to himself.

"Why!? Why does all of this happen to me?! All my life, everything I've ever done was for the greater good! With what did I deserve this torment!?" raged the boy, when he finally stopped.

"If I don't deserve happiness, then no one in this hell does!" He said, before a sick smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, that's right. I'll simply show them the truth of this world!" Lelouch said, before a dark purple light consumed him.

When it cleared, there stood Lelouch in what looked like to be his HDD, only now his hair was dark purple, his armor was more slick in design and was black and purple with some golden linings, complete with a long cape of the same colors. The armor as a whole had one major difference other than the color scheme. The chest area, as well as the lower parts of his arms and legs were covered in thick armor with spikes at the end in the same colors.

Histoire was shocked of what she saw. The moment he opened his eyes she knew that that wasn't the Lelouch she knew.

"Hahahaha!" The man laughed maniacally, as he raised up his hands. "Yes, this is it. The power that I hold."

"Lelouch, is that you?" asked Histoire, afraid of the new person standing before her.

The man glanced at her and laughed again.

"No, that name is of a weakling who allowed his weakness to take everything away from him. I guess it wasn't all that bad, however, as I was able to finally get control over my body!" stated the man with a sick smile on his face.

"As for who am I, let's see, I was born from the nothingness that is the soul of Lelouch, so I guess it is only appropriate that I be known as Zero the god of destruction!" Declared the man, as a black and purple mask materialized in his hand.

Histoire was struck with fear at the man's declaration.

"Why the long face, you said it yourself, remember?" Zero said the sick smile on his face not leaving him, as he put on the mask.

Histoire now stood before the man, no, the god, that held the power to destroy everything, the dark CPU. She knew full well that his was the ultimate power, power that could not be matched by anything, not even the Deity of Sin stood a chance before his true power.

"Tome of this world, your purpose will soon come to an end, because there won't be a world left for which you should record history." Said the masked god, as he walked past her, his aura terrifying her.

"Y-You can't! You'll ruin everything that you and Celina worked for! Stop, Lelouch!" Histoire begged him.

The man turned around facing her.

"It would seem that you are forgetting your place. You are nothing before me." Said Zero, as he raised one of his hands.

"Dark Burst." He engulfed Histoire in the dark purple energy blast.

Histoire dropped on the ground, wounded from the attack.

"Please, don't do it." She tried to beg, but to no avail.

"You cannot stop me, nothing can." Said Zero, as he set off.

The god would then, without any warning whatsoever, start the devastation of the world.

He had flown high up in the air above the city, his cape disappearing to make way for the wings now floating behind his back.

"Let's see, where do we start?" He mused for a moment, when he stopped his gaze at the north.

A sick smile appeared under the mask.

"I guess I shall first destroy the place that I once resided in." He said, as he raised his left hand, everything around him turning dark purple.

The energy started to gather into his hand until a small dark purple energy ball was in it. Zero smiled under his mask.

"Dark Meteor." He let the energy ball go, falling towards Lowee.

When it hit, a gigantic explosion engulfed the whole quadrant of the continent. Almost the whole north side was completely obliterated, as a half of the city was still standing, the people in it terrified for their lives.

"Hahahaha! Yes, that's it, more, I will show you more!" Zero laughed maniacally.

He then channeled the same attack towards Lastation and Planeptune. His assault made more than half of the continent disappear, as the chunks that had survived the blasts had become islands around the mainland. He continued to laugh, taking in all the destruction he had caused.

Then a thought came to him. He remembered that there was someone he would thoroughly enjoy destroying, the Deity of Sin.

Zero flew off to the Gamindustri Graveyard.

He arrived there and descended to the ground. To his surprise Histoire was standing there.

"Ho, didn't you have enough, already?" Asked the god.

"I knew you would come here, so I waited for you. You must stop these vile acts Lelouch!" said Histoire.

"I believe I told you already, that I'm going to destroy this world, I don't like to repeat myself." Said Zero, irritated.

"There is a way to resolve all this, without any more bloodshed." Said Histoire, hoping that he would listen to her.

"Then, by all means, please enlighten me of it." Sarcastically remarked the masked god.

"I can do only one thing to save this world from you. I will seal you away." She said with a sad expression.

"Heheh- Hahahaha!" Zero laughed maniacally. "What a joke, you do not possess the power necessary to seal me away."

"Then you leave me no choice." Histoire said with a sad look in her face, as she raised her hands and the mad god was surrounded by magical circles.

"What is this mockery?!" Zero said, confused.

"This magic will seal you away. I will not allow you to destroy everything you've ever accomplished. Even if it means robbing you of your memories and freedom." Said Histoire.

"Hmph, so this is the end for now, huh?" Mused Zero, as the magic circle started to shine brighter and darkness started to weigh on his eyes.

"I get the feeling that we'll meet again someday." He said to Histoire, as his eyes closed and he was sealed away in the Graveyard.

"I hope that if it happens things will be different." Said Histoire, as she left the place.

Everything was dark and Lelouch found himself in the familiar void. Now he knew everything. He had remembered the love and hatred, the pain and despair, he remembered everything. He raised up his head to look around for Celina, but she wasn't here anymore.

"Thank you for everything, my love." He said with a smile, as he closed his eyes.

* * *

 **Man, i hope i didn't go to overboard with everything. I really hope that i brought out Lelouch's character fully in this chapter. Now to start with the explanations. In VII the CPUs have something called NEXT form. Well Lelouch's form of Zero is just that, his NEXT form, though it will be referred to as ZERO Dark not like the others NEXT Purple or some other crap like that. (I think it actually sounds even cooler.) This form won't be making a return appearance for quite some time, just putting this out there. The other thing that i didn't go into full detail are Celina's powers. Don't worry guys i will write on those in the far future. I believe that it is safe to say that i will continue this story beyond Rebirth3 and write on VII as well :D. That's really far ahead though. Well anyway next chapter will resume in the present with Lelouch. What action will he take? We'll find out next time! Hope you have a great day and thank you for reading :)!**


	20. Who are you?

Chapter 20: Who are you?

Lelouch opened his eyes, revealing the room he was previously in. Histoire was standing next to him with a troubled expression.

He looked at her.

"Lelouch?" She asked confused of what was happening.

"Well, with that out of the way I have some questions for you." Said Lelouch, taking a seat and gestured to Histoire to grab a seat as well

She did so and wasn't really sure what to expect from the young man, as she started the discussion.

"What is it that you want to know?" She asked.

"First I want to know what happened after I was sealed." Said Lelouch.

"I took it upon myself to fix the damage that you had done. I used almost all of my power then, as I not only sealed you, but I also erased history from the memories of the people. Now all I have left is just a fracture." Said Histoire. "I divided Britannia into the four nations you see today, though the CPUs weren't the same back then."

"Ok, then my next question is going to be, how did the girls become CPUs?" Continued Lelouch.

"Before I answer, Lelouch, I think I should explain what Shares are." Said Histoire.

"Ah, yes, I was going to ask you that as well." Lelouch said.

"Well first of all, Shares are something which the CPU feels when people believe in them. You do remember how when you were CPU of Britannia there was some warm feeling inside you, right?" said Histoire.

"Yes, I do recall something like that." Replied Lelouch. "Though that doesn't explain why the current CPUs require them to sustain their power."

"That is because, after I disbanded Britannia, I wanted to make sure to never give a CPU as much power as you and Celina possessed. I didn't want to see others destroy themselves because of their power, so I put their power under limit." Explained Histoire.

"I see, you've taken care of everything while I was asleep. Anyway, back to my previous question." Lelouch said, he was with a serious expression throughout the whole conversation.

"The girls are all light CPUs that were born from the energy of the original light Sharicite." Histoire started to explain, a little worried that Lelouch might snap any moment. "After Celina passed away, the Sharicite returned to its original state. Since the dark Sharicite's full power is still within you there needed to be a counter balance, so the light crystal gave birth to entirely new CPU entities, separating its power in the proccess. That is why even at full Shares, the girls won't be even remotely close to your and Celina's powers."

"So in other words they are Celina's juniors. They hardly live up to their positions." Lelouch said, deep in thought.

"Is there anything else you'd like me to answer?" Asked Histoire.

"No that was it from me. I take it that you have a few questions yourself." Said Lelouch, prompting Histoire to ask away.

"Well then, first I'd like to confirm something. You have remembered everything, haven't you?" asked Histoire.

"Yes." Lelouch nodded.

"Then my second question to you is this. Who are you? Who will you choose to be?" Asked Histoire.

"Will you be Lelouch- the young man with amnesia and strange powers who helps the CPUs, or CPU Dark Heart- the CPU of a gone nation, or will you be… Zero- the god of destruction?" asked Histoire, saying the last part with fear in her voice.

Lelouch thought for a moment, then looked up at Histoire.

"To your question I shall say this. I don't have to choose any of those options, for I am all of them. There is no singular fate that can bind me. I am what I am, and nothing will take that away from me." Lelouch said.

"I see, so that is you answer. Then what will you do? Will you help the CPUs defeat the Deity of Sin, leave things as they are, or will you destroy everything?"

"From the moment those girls rescued me from the Graveyard I have been living a lie. A lie born of the absence of knowledge." Started Lelouch.

"…" Histoire silently a-waited for him to finish and hear his answer, worried of the fact that everything was now up to him.

She was worried, because she was now powerless to stop him if he chose the path of destruction once more.

"But it was a happy lie, free from all the darkness of the truth. I personally don't regret the time I spent with each of those girls." Lelouch continued.

"And yet I still yearn for what I once had. I know that nothing will bring back Celina and I'm only wasting my time living in the past, but to me she still is the most important person in my life." Lelouch said, as brushed away a tear which came down from his eye.

"The only thing I can do now is keep her wish alive, her wish of me being alive." He said.

"So, what will you choose?" asked Histoire.

"My answer to that is simple." He said as he stood up.

"All lies can be turned into truth, as long as the liar is contended to do so." He said with a smile on his face. "I shall protect those girls and this world once more."

Histoire smiled, tears starting to flow from her eyes, as she hugged Lelouch.

He embraced her back.

"That includes you as well." He said, holding the crying oracle.

"Lelouch *Sob* you're, *Sob*…" Histoire continued to cry, trying to say something.

"Yes, I'm back. Thank you for waiting for me all this time." He said, embracing the oracle further.

Histoire managed to calm herself down.

"I've always dreamed of this day, when you would return and show me the smile on your face once more." She said happily, brushing away tears from her eyes.

Lelouch then remembered something.

"That's right, I didn't ask you where the girls went!" He said.

"Oh, yes, they have gone to try and stop the Deity of Sin!" Stated Histoire, shocked that she had forgotten something so important.

"Are they insane?! They don't possess even the slightest ounce of power to stand up to her!" Said Lelouch, irritated at their rash decision.

"What will you do?" asked Histoire.

Lelouch gave her a smile.

"I shall correct the mistakes of the past." He said, confidence brimming from his voice.

Histoire could not help but smile. This was the Lelouch she knew, the Lelouch who was always full of confidence in his abilities and ambition burning in his eyes.

The male CPU was about to leave when Histoire stopped him.

"Lelouch, before you go, would you like to take this?" The oracle offered him his clothes from the time he was a CPU.

They were a white and gold shirt alongside his favorite black and gold long trench coat, a pair of black boots and formal black pants with a golden belt. (This is going to be his permanent attire from now on, cause I believe the black and gold to be a color that suits his character)

Lelouch gave a jolly smile.

"I'm surprised that you still keep these, but I don't think they will fit me, I have been exercising, you know." He said the last part with pride in himself.

Histoire laughed at the boy.

"Indeed, that you have. I've adjusted them to fit you." She said with a smile.

Lelouch changed into the clothes, surprised that she was telling the truth.

"You weren't kidding, they're perfect." Said Lelouch, admiring himself in the mirror.

"Oh, I almost forgot something very important!" He stated.

"What is it?" asked Histoire confused.

"Where are my weapons?" He asked.

"Oh, they are right over there, on that desk." Histoire pointed at a desk on the far side of the room.

Lelouch took his revolver and placed it inside one of the internal pockets of his coat. He strapped the sheath with the sword on the left side of his waist and was ready to go.

"I'm off now." He said.

"Yes, good luck, please return with everyone safely." Histoire said, as she teleported him to where the others were fighting.

Before she did so he gave her a thumbs up and a confident look.

The young man vanished from the room, leaving a happy Histoire.

"He is gone. I can't believe that boy, how he made me worry." Said Histoire, as she knew from the bottom of her heart that Lelouch would not fail.

Lelouch appeared in the Gamindustri Graveyard.

"Great, with every time I get here, this place gets more and more depressing." He complained to himself.

He then caught sight of Underling and the rat who were running away.

"Where do you two idiots think you are going?" He said in a calm voice, as he intercepted the two fleeing ASIC members.

"What the?! Oh, it's just the guy who hangs out with the CPUs." Said Underling relieved.

"What is he doing here?! Did he come to get himself killed, chu?!" Stated the rat shocked with fear.

Lelouch noticed that and decided to ask for answers.

"Now look you two, I'm going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer me honestly, otherwise I'm going to have to make you to do so." He said with a grin.

"We are running away from that thing! What did they call it again, the Deity of Sin? Anyway, your CPU buddies stayed to fight it. We on the other hand are getting out of here, everything's gone to hell!" said Underling, panicked.

The two ran away, leaving Lelouch by himself, at least they showed him the way.

"Well they at least had their use, I guess I shall let them go." Lelouch said, as he walked in the direction from which Underling and the rat were running away from.

Lelouch arrived at the scene.

He saw the CPUs in their HDD fighting what looked to be the Deity of Sin. It was a giant monstrosity. Lelouch couldn't help but get extremely angry at the sight. He was angry, for he could not stand seeing the twisted soul of Arfoire in such a state. The girls seemed to be holding their own, barely.

Lelouch walked towards them, staying unnoticed because of the intense battle.

The monstrosity had managed to pin down Nepgear and was about to strike her.

"Nepgear, no!" yelled Neptune.

"Tachyon Transmigration." Came a familiar voice, as a shield of red energy encased Nepgear, protecting her.

Everyone turned their attention to the voice, to see Lelouch walking towards them, anger showing on his face.

"Lelouch?!" Everyone was shocked to see the boy.

The monstrosity also noticed him.

"So it would seem that you are awake, dark god." Said the Deity of Sin.

"Your fight is with me now, abomination!" Lelouch said through gritted teeth.

"You fool, you only recently awakened, you haven't recovered all of your power." Taunted him the Deity of Sin.

"The same could be said for you. Why else would you be in this form, and these girls still standing?" He growled back.

Lelouch now stood next to the CPUs.

"Are any of you hurt?" he asked.

He didn't receive a reply as all of them were speechless from his entrance.

"What are you doing here?! You should be back at the Basilicom resting!" yelled Black Heart.

"I am alright now, as you can see." He replied, blandly.

"Yes, we can also see that you got a fancy change of wardrobe, jackass!" Shouted White Heart.

Lelouch was really annoyed by her. When he got back he would ask Histoire why these girls' personalities change when they transform.

"Explanations can wait till later, right now we have a more serious matter on our hands." Said Purple Heart, not letting her guard down.

"Yes, Lelouch, stand back." Said Green Heart, as the four CPUs attacked the monster.

Lelouch felt kind of stupid for being left out right after he got there, but he decided to help the CPU Candidates while he had the chance.

"Are all of you ok?" He asked the little girls.

"Y-Yeah, thanks for saving me back there, Lelouch." Muttered Nepgear, as she was still surprised to see the boy being in front of them.

"We're fine, don't worry about us!" Said energetically Ram.

"Uh- huh." Added Rom.

Uni was gazing at the boy noticing a change in his demeanor.

"Lelouch are you not scared of that thing? It's crazy strong." Asked Uni, curious.

Lelouch stood with his arms crossed watching the fight, when he turned towards the young tsundere to answer her.

"No, I'm not. In fact, I'm actually interested to see how this fight goes." He replied, turning his gaze back to the fight.

Uni was speechless from the change in the boy. It was almost like he wasn't even worried.

"What happened while he was with Histoire, and why the fancy gettup?" Uni thought to herself.

The Deity of Sin noticed he was watching from the side and angered.

"Don't you dare look down upon me! How dare you, not coming to fight me yourself!" yelled the mad goddess.

She was quickly attacked again by Noire and Neptune.

"Yeah, that's right, keep your attention elsewhere, so we can finish you off!" said Black Heart, full of herself.

"We've got you now! Noire!" Purple Heart, alongside Black Heart, started to combine their attacks.

"Right! Assault Combo!" Noire's sword glowed, as she slashed the monster a couple of times, while Neptune had summoned a giant pixel sword and had flung it at the Deity, causing an explosion of purple energy on impact.

The thing flew to the ground, taking considerable damage.

"Urrghh! You insignificant ants! Out of my way!" Yelled the Deity of Sin, as she rushed towards Lelouch.

Lelouch just stood in place, waiting.

"Take this!" The monstrous body of the Deity had swung at Lelouch.

"No, Lelouch!" all the girls were terrified of what was to come.

And yet it wasn't what they expected.

"What?!" Arfoire said, shocked to find out that Lelouch had blocked her attack with his energy sword.

"What the, since when is he so strong?!" said Noire, confused.

"I was right. You really do have just a small portion of your power. Now then, allow me to finish this bout." Lelouch said, a dark light engulfing him.

The girls were once again shocked to see him transform. Lelouch now stood in his HDD, looking at the Deity of Sin.

"Grhh, you have recovered this much already?!" growled Arfoire.

"Disappear from my sight. Void Rupture." Lelouch slashed at the monster with his black cybernetic sword, causing major devastation in the direction of his attack.

The attack completely incapacitated the monster.

Lelouch looked at the Deity of Sin, his gaze full of anger.

"This victory of yours is nothing! When I revive completely with my full power, all of you will tremble before me!" Said the Deity of Sin, before the energy left the monstrous husk and disappeared.

With the threat gone for the time being, he decided that he should first help the girls, then deal with the problem.

When he turned around, he saw all of them eyeing him suspiciously.

"What? See something you like?" Lelouch decided to make a joke.

"Yeah, it's Lelouch all right." Said Negear, disappointed at the man's humor.

"What's with the transformation and all, c'mon, spill the beans!" pressed him Rom and Ram.

"Yes, it would be very kind of you to explain yourself." Said Vert/ Green Heart.

"You'll have to be patient for the big reveal." He said.

He and all the girls changed back to their human forms.

"Phew, that worked out better than I expected." Lelouch gave a relieved sigh.

He was then jumped by Neptune. She held on to his back.

"What are you doing?" He asked annoyed.

"Just showing my appreciation for your coming to help us. You should stop being a downer and learn to have fun!" Said Neptune.

"Get off, already!" He grabbed her for the collar and dropped her on the ground.

"Oof!" She landed on her butt. "You're so mean, didn't anyone teach you to be nice to girls?!"

Lelouch started to get really irritated at the girl, but decided to ignore her.

"Anyway, let's head back to Planeptune." He said, turning to the rest of the group.

"Yes, you and Histoire have some explaining to do." Said Blanc

"Indeed, let's not waste any more time." Added Vert.

"Don't ignore me!" Neptune started to whine.

The group was teleported back to the Basilicom.

"Histy, we're back!" Stated Neptune.

"Welcome back everyone." Said happily Histoire.

"Wow, you sure are happy. Normally you'd greet us with some emergency or something like that." Said Neptune.

"Histoire, you promised to explain everything when we got back, so go on with your explanation." Prompted Noire.

"Yes, of course." Replied Histoire, gesturing for everyone to take a seat.

"I'll be right back, I want to get something to read while you're filling them in. You can start without me." Lelouhc said, as he headed off to the Basilicom library.

"Wait, get back here, you have some explaining to do, too!" Tried to get his attention Noire, but failed miserably.

"Pfft, ignored. Ahaha! That's a new level of loneliness, even for you Noire!" Neptune started to laugh her ass off.

"Neptune I will seriously drown you someday!" replied Noire through gritted teeth.

"Now then where should I begin, ah, yes, all of you are most likely interested to know who Lelouch is and why do I know so much about him, correct?" Said Histoire.

She received nods from everyone.

"Well you see, Lelouch is one of the two first CPUs of Gamindustri, in short your senior." Said Histoire, making the jaws of everybody drop with bewilderment.

"W-What?!" All of the girls were confused.

At that point Lelouch returned and noticed their shocked expressions. He ignored them, because he didn't really felt like explaining himself, thinking that work like that would be best left to Histoire. He sat across the room, opening the book he had gotten and started to read it.

"You mean to tell us that Lelouch is a CPU?!" stated Neptune.

"But he can't be one, he doesn't have a nation, nor people whose faith to allow him to transform, how is that possible?" Asked Blanc, confused.

Lelouch felt kind of strange that they were talking about him while he was in the room, but decided that such trivial matters weren't as important as his book.

"I will explain that. First, you could say that Lelouch is a CPU of another class. He is far stronger than all of you. And as for why he doesn't require Shares to transform…" Histoire paused, to think of some good reason that she could use to cover herself up. "You see, with him being the first dark CPU, he has access to all of the power of the dark Sharicite."

"Dark CPU?" Vert was confused.

"Correct, all of you are light CPUs, while Lelouch is a dark CPU." Explained Histoire.

"What's the difference?" asked Nepgear.

"Well, you could say that it is the fact I have a lot more freedom in choosing my actions, and also that my power is not bound by limitations." Answered Lelouch, though not telling the full truth.

"Since you know all that, does that mean that your memory has recovered?" asked Uni.

Lelouch gave her a smile.

"Well then, let's get introductions out of the way, shall we?" he said, as he stood up from his chair.

"CPU Dark Heart, at your service." He said with a formal gesture.

"What's with that regal mannerism and the clothing too?" asked him Neptune.

Lelouch felt really irritated at the girl.

"For your information, this is proper etiquette and dress code for a CPU, but I don't expect someone like you to understand all of that." He antagonized Neptune.

"Hey, what do you mean someone like me, huh?" Neptune said, feeling the burn.

"Neptune, I suggest you shut up from here on, you'll only get yourself lower." Said Noire.

"Yes, that will be for the best." Added Vert.

"You guys are taking his side now?! I feel like I was stabbed in the back." Dramatized Neptune.

"It's great that you told us who you are and all, but there is something bothering me." Said Blanc, gaining Lelouch's attention.

"And what might that be?" He asked.

"It's your eyes, they don't look like those of a CPU." Said Blanc.

"Ah, yes, that is because, as I've already told you, Lelouch is a CPU of another class. He has access to a power called Geass, which shows in his eyes. The Geass is available to only the strongest CPUs, granting them additional abilities, and is also different for every individual. Apart from serving as a different power, it also has the function of identifying a CPU. In other words, no one in Gamindustri has the same power as Lelouch." Explained Histoire.

"So what can you do with it?" asked Neptune curious.

"I can tell people what to do." He lied with an innocent smile, portraying his power as something harmless, when in reality he could do whatever he wanted with it.

"That sounded like a lie." Stated Vert.

"Because it was." Lelouch replied with a smile. "It gives me the power to take full control of people just by talking to them, making them do anything I tell them to."

"That sounds like a terrifying power." Said Blanc.

"And it is. But don't worry, I don't plan to use it on any of you." He replied.

"Does it have any limit to what your command is or anything like that?" asked Nepgear, curious.

"No, I can order anything I want, there isn't a limit to how many times I can use it on a person either." He said. (I know I just completely overpowered him with this last bit and the Zero form, but you guys are stuck with it :D. Don't worry he won't be the only op character in the story.).

"So, like, you could go to the store and ask for free pudding?" Asked Neptune, her eyes glowing.

"Yes, I could." Lelouch rolled his eyes.

"That's so cool!" Said Ram.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

Lelouch looked at the twins and smiled at them. He then realized why he was acting the way he does towards them. They reminded him of his little sister.

Lelouch gave the two a pat on the head.

"With that said, however, it isn't right to always get what you want just like that. There are rules and they exist for a purpose." He said to the little girls.

"It's lovely that we are talking everything over, but the Deity of Sin is still out there." Said Vert.

"Yes, we must stop her." Said Noire.

Lelouch then spoke in a serious tone.

"I forbid all of you from taking action against the Deity of Sin. I shall take care of that problem by myself." He said.

"What, why?" asked Nepgear.

"Because all of you are too weak to be facing her at full power. I will not allow any of you to die!" He said.

"But you can't face her alone!" tried to protest Neptune.

"Neptune, I agree with Lelouch, all of you are to remain here and allow him to do his work. You'll just get in his way." Explained Histoire.

"Nonsense, the difference in power can't be that big, can it?" said Noire.

"I'm afraid it is even bigger than you imagine." Replied Histoire.

"If any of you want to go and fight, you will have to prove yourselves." Said Lelouch. "You'll have to convince me of your strength, though I already have a rough idea of where all of you stand, if you want to battle the Deity of Sin."

"You're challenging all of us?!" asked Vert shocked.

"Indeed I am." He said.

"You're just one against eight, do you seriously think you have a chance?" asked Noire.

"I don't think that, I know that no one of you won't be able to land a hit on me." He said, crossing his arms.

"You may act tough now, but don't get crying when we beat you, kay?" said Neptune.

"Lelouch, we will defeat you, together." Said Nepgear, with nods from the rest of the Candidates.

He smiled at them, feeling that their courage was wonderful, but it wouldn't be enough to get them past him.

Histoire looked at him.

"You do know that they won't defeat you, right?" asked him the oracle.

"What, even Histy doubts us?!" Neptune was shocked. "That's it, I'm gonna show you why I'm the main character, buster."

Lelouch gave a smirk, as he walked off to the training facility, where their fight would be held.

There the girls transformed into their HDD and prepared their weapons. Lelouch on the other hand, just took out his revolver and sword.

"What, you aren't going to fight us seriously?" asked Purple Heart.

"We'll see if you can get to that point. Tachyon Drive." Lelouch smiled, the red aura surrounding him.

"Quite full of ourselves, aren't we?" Said Vert, as she and Neptune assaulted Lelouch with summoned swords and spears.

"Tachyon Transmigration." He raised his left hand forming a shield around him, which deflected the attacks.

Noire and Blanc had dashed behind him and attempted to strike him.

"Take this! Tanzerin Trombe!" Blanc started to spin her axe.

Lelouch dodged her attack only to get in line of Noire's.

"Volcano Dive!" she slashed from above, causing a flame explosion with her attack.

Lelouch barely dodged out of that one, too. He then noticed that something was off.

"MPBL Fire! EX Multi Buster!" Nepgear and Uni fired their attacks at the boy.

He quickly raised his shield once more and protected himself.

"Tch, you're really starting to annoy me, you know that?" he said, and then noticed that his feet were frozen to the ground.

"Yay, we got him." Celebrated Rom and Ram.

He gave a smile and took up his sword.

"Let's stop with these games. Void Sever." He slashed at the ground causing it to split open, in the process freeing his feet.

He then took his revolver and aimed it at the girls.

"Dark Barrage Blast." He fired off purple energy blasts at the Candidates.

They managed to dodge out of the way of the attack.

Lelouch was then surrounded by the four CPUs. He grinned.

"Good job for getting this far, but this is the end of this little game." He said, dark light engulfing him.

Lelouch now stood in his HDD.

"So you are finally going to fight us seriously." Said Black Heart.

"Let me show you just how much of a gap there is between us. Tachyon Drive." Said Dark Heart, as the aura appeared around him with red lightning emitting from it, causing the ground around him to start to crack.

The four girls were taken aback by the raw energy that was coming from him.

"Tachyon Crash." Lelouch dashed at insane speeds and slashed through all of them countless times.

When he was visible once more, he stood across the girls.

"This fight is over." As he said that, the attacks he had done exploded into red energy, sending the four CPUs flying to the ground.

The girls transformed back to their human forms from the damage.

"It doesn't make any sense, how can a CPU be so strong?!" said Vert shocked.

"Oof, that really hurt. What's the big deal, you could've held back a little." Complained Neptune.

Lelouch transformed back to his human form.

"I told you. You aren't ready to fight at the level of the Deity of Sin." He said.

"What do you mean at that level, do you mean to say that you are stronger than the Deity of Sin?" asked Noire.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Replied the boy.

The girls were only further shocked by the revelation.

"Neptune, are you alright?" Nepgear and the other candidates had transformed back as well and ran over to the CPUs.

"Yeah, we're fine Nep Jr. The only thing that he hurt was our pride." Said Neptune.

"Hey now, don't get yourselves down. On the bright side, you were stronger than I had made you out to be." Lelouch said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine by myself." He assured them.

"Lelouch are you sure that you don't want any of us to come and help you?" Asked Uni.

He turned to her and patted her on the head.

"I won't risk losing any of you, not again." He said with a smile, as he walked off.

"What did he mean by that?" Asked Noire, blushing.

"Heavens, such a gentleman." Said Vert.

"You think there is something he is not telling us?" asked Blanc.

"Maybe it has to do with his memory?" suggested Nepgear.

"Ooh, then let's go and ask Histy about it!" Said Neptune, curious to find out the boy's origins.

"Yeah, me and Rom want to know!" said Ram, receiving a nod from Rom.

The girls arrived at Histoire's office.

"Hey, Histy, got a minute?" asked Neptune.

"Hmm, what is it girls? Lelouch already went out to confront the Deity of Sin. If you are concerned about him, I assure you he will be alright and come back to you." Said Histoire with a smile.

"You really trust in him that much?" asked Nepgear.

"But of course, Lelouch ruled over all of Gamindustri, once. He is the most competent man I've ever seen. I've always trusted him completely." Said Histoire.

The girls were shocked.

"What, he ruled over all nations?!" They said shocked.

"Yes, though at the time it was one nation, he had named it Britannia." Said Histoire.

"Histoire, can you tell us more about who Lelouch is? He doesn't seem to want to talk about it much." Said Noire.

Histoire's expression saddened a little.

"It is normal that he doesn't want to share his origins with you. His story isn't one to be casually shared, so I guess that he is keeping that from you to not think bad of him. He is a really good person at heart, I want you all to believe that. All of you mean a lot to him, you're all he has left now." Said Histoire saddened.

"What do you mean?" asked Uni.

"If I tell you the truth about Lelouch, your opinion of him will surely change." Said Histoire.

"Then maybe we shouldn't pry too much." Said Blanc.

"It must be something very important to him, if he doesn't want us to know about it." Said Nepgear saddened.

"Don't worry Histy, we'll always be Lulu's friends, no matter what!" said Neptune.

Histoire smiled.

"Let us wait for his return. It is better you hear everything from the source." She said.

* * *

 **What will the Nep girls' reaction be when they know of the events that shaped Lelouch? Lelouch will be facing Arfoire one last time, and after that he will retell his story to the girs. Anyway thanks for reading, this chapter was more explanations than anything else, but i hope you enjoyed it and i wish you a great day :)!**


	21. Setting the past free

**Final Chapter of Rebith2's story guys! I can't believe i got this far with this story. I just want to thank you guys for all the support and for the fact that you took interest in my story. Thank you for everything :D! Also don't worry, now with the main story line out of the way for a while, i will focus on side events and building up Lelouch's relationships with the girls, so look forward to those. Anyway without further ado, please enjoy.**

Chapter 21: Setting the past free

Lelouch had transformed and was flying towards the Gamindustri Graveyard.

"This is it. I won't hesitate like I did back then." He thought to himself.

He arrived and descended down to the ground.

"Arfoire! Show yourself and face me!" He yelled.

The Deity of Sin appeared, back to her full power.

"So eager to face your demise." She said.

"I will not fall to you, and this time, I will set you free!" He said, resolve in his eyes.

"You will not stop me from destroying this world." She said.

"No, the only one who will destroy this world is me." He said.

"So, you have awakened to your true purpose, well then why not join forces?" Asked the being.

"This world's fate, it belongs to me. I shall decide it's future, and you have no place in it!" He said.

"Hmph, you fool. Can't you see what your choices have wrought? Everything that has happened is your fault." Said the Deity of Sin.

"I know." Lelouch clenched his fist. "I am the one who pays the price for every mistake."

"And didn't that suffering show you anything?" asked the goddess.

"Yes, it did. It showed me the monster that I am. But even so I will continue to pursue my dreams!" Lelouch said, passion burning within him.

"Then so be it. I will remind you how weak you truly are!" Arfoire said, as she charged at the CPU.

The two clashed their weapons.

"Last time you were with the strongest light CPU to ever exist and you couldn't defeat me. What makes you think that you have a chance now?" asked him Arfoire, as she swung again.

Lelouch dodged out of the way and countered.

"Don't you dare talk about Celina in front of me!" he growled. "Tachyon Drive!"

"Void Rupture!" He slashed with his sword, but his opponent blocked his attack.

"It took me centuries until I was finally able to amass enough energy to break from your seal! I won't fall so easily!" Said the Deity of Sin, as she slashed at the CPU.

"Yes, I saw your acolytes, they were just as miserable as you!" Dark Heart shouted.

"That they were. The fools' attempts to free me released you as well!" Growled The Deity of Sin.

"So they were the ones that I owe my freedom to. Huh, how truly disgusting fate is." Lelouch said, as he continued to attack and dodge.

Their battle intensified. The two traded blow after blow, with no seeming trace of slowing down.

"You cannot stop me without unleashing that power!" Taunted him the Deity of Sin.

"No, I will defeat you! I don't need 'him'!" Lelouch yelled.

"Dark Burst!" The dark CPU fired an energy blast at the Deity of Sin.

She stood unfazed, and started to laugh.

"You cannot hope to defeat me! My energy runs through this entire place! Even if you somehow managed to destroy this body a new one would be formed!" She stated triumphantly.

"Face it! You're nothing without the madness of the dark CPU!" She tried to provoke him.

"I will fight you for all eternity if I have to!" He yelled.

They exchanged blows once more.

"Yes, I am aware that you are immortal. That stupid light CPU just had to make things harder!" Said the Deity of Sin.

That was the last draw. After hearing those words, anger started to boil within him.

"How dare you, you scum! How dare you talk about Celina like that!" Lelouch was enraged.

He flew up above the Graveyard. He then spread out his limbs, the red aura and lightning emitting from him furiously. The ground was shaking from the tremendous energy.

"I will destroy you!" Lelouch yelled, as he put his hands together in front of himself, his aura starting to become unstable and flashing.

All of the energy was beginning to concentrate in his hands, as a ball of red energy started appear in them, emitting lightning that tore through the ground below him. With each passing second the energy was starting to get more and more firm, as it reached a point where the entire Graveyard was engulfed by the lightning.

The Deity of Sin watched as the enraged god charged his attack. The tremors could be felt throughout Gamindustri.

At Planeptune's Basilicom:

"What is this pressure?!" Noire was shocked.

"This… is Lelouch's power." Said Histoire.

Somewhere else:

"Iffy what is this earthquake?" Said Compa terrified.

"I don't know, I just hope Nep and the others are ok." Replied IF. (Hey, been a while since we saw these two.)

Back at the Graveyard:

Lelouch's body was starting to feel the pressure from the immense energy that he was charging up.

"You fool! Your body is in no condition for you to use your full power!" Laughed The Deity of Sin, as the lightning around her tore into the Graveyard.

Lelouch gave a grin.

"Then let's see which one of us will fall first!" He shouted, through the pain which was engulfing his body.

The energy in his hands started to shine brighter.

"Tachyon Flash!" Lelouch yelled, as the gigantic energy beam discharged from his hands. (If you want a reference think Vegeta's original Final Flash scene, and yes I know I've almost ripped off the move, but there's nothing you can do about it :D)

The Deity of Sin quickly raised a shield to protect herself, though that couldn't be said for the rest of the Graveyard. The whole area was engulfed by the energy beam, as it obliterated everything in its path, causing a huge pillar of red light.

The light could be seen from almost everywhere.

From Planeptune:

"Wow, so pretty." Said Rom.

"This… is Lelouch's power?!" Noire and the rest of the CPUs were shocked to witness the magnitude of the attack from way over here.

"Yes, this is the power of the strongest CPU." Said Histoire.

Everyone was watching in awe at the light, as it soon disappeared.

Lelouch's body felt limp from the attack. He could no longer feel most of his limbs and he started to fall down into the crater caused by his attack.

When he hit the ground, the added pain from the fall didn't really help him, he saw the Deity of Sin.

She too was at her limit, as defending from the attack had drained everything out of her.

Lelouch started to get up, sluggishly.

"*Pant* This is the end *Pant* Arfoire." He said, gasping for air.

The fake goddess looked up at him.

"How could there be such a difference between us?! I possess your power and more!" She asked, barely holding herself up.

"You cannot expect to bring out the full potential of power that does not belong to you." Lelouch said, as he summoned his sword in his hand once more.

"I will not accept that!" Arfoire yelled, as she drew her sword lance.

The two dashed at each other one last time, as the two blades entered their targets, blood spilling from both of them.

"With this it's over, you're free now." Lelouch said, the weapon still inside his body.

Arfoire looked at him, her face was torn between confusion and grief.

"I see… you continue to fight for others even after everything you've been through." Arfoire said.

"No matter what I have to endure, I won't ever again let the people who trust in me down." Lelouch replied.

"Then, before I go, could you please show me your smile one last time?" asked Arfoire.

"Ok." Lelouch smiled weakly, but as genuinely as he could.

"This is goodbye then." Arfoire smiled.

"Yes, I want you to know before you go, that I don't carry any ill will against you. And how could I, when you were always like a mother to me and Celina." Lelouch started to cry.

Arfoire smiled weakly and let go of her weapon.

"You must live on without us. Histoire and those other CPUs need you. This world needs you." She embraced the boy, the two blades still inside them.

"I know, but it still hurts. I wanted to spend more time with all of you. I wanted all of us to live happily together!" Lelouch continued to cry.

"Somethings just aren't meant to be. I'm so sorry for everything I did. You suffered so much because of my weakness, and yet you still hold affection towards me." Arfoire said, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I'll never forget you, nor the time we spent together." Lelouch cried.

"That makes me truly happy. I'm proud that you considered me your mother." She said with a smile. "Now it is time for me to go."

Lelouch, pain weighing on him from the blade in his chest and the act he was about to commit, pulled out his sword from Arfoire's chest.

She started to disappear into energy.

"Thank you Lelouch, thank you for everything." Arfoire smiled one last time, as she disappeared.

Lelouch transformed back into his human form and fell on the ground, the wound in his chest gaping wide, a pool of blood formed around him.

"Arfoire… Celina… I promise I will protect our world, our dream." Was the final thought Lelouch had, his eyes glowing blue, before he fell unconscious. (That is Celina's Geass which revives him if you were wondering.)

A few hours had passed when Lelouch finally woke up. It was the same as usual. There was no blood around him, no wounds on him, and his clothes looked brand new.

He dusted himself off, gave a last smile and a farewell to the place in which he lost the two people important to him, and walked back towards Planeptune.

When he arrived at the Basilicom, he was greeted with the crying of the CPU Candidates, who hugged him, and the relived expressions of Histoire and the CPUs.

"It's all over now. None of you have to worry about anything." He reassured the little girls.

"You're ok!" Noire said happily, tears forming in her eyes.

"What would we do without our male tsundere?" joked Neptune, happy that the boy had returned safe.

"Jokes aside, it's good to see you in one piece." Said Blanc.

"Yes, I believe we should celebrate this occasion." Added Vert.

"That's a wonderful idea." Histoire said, as she turned to Lelouch. "Would you care to join us?"

Lelouch gave a smile of defeat.

"I don't have a choice, now do I?" He said.

"That's right buster! You're gonna sit down and allow yourself to have some fun!" Said Neptune.

"Fun, huh?" Lelouch smiled. "Well then I believe I shall play along this time."

"Wonderful, I shall go and prepare tea for everyone." Said Histoire.

"I'll help you." Said Nepgear, as the two went off to the kitchen.

Everyone moved to the living room, where they sat down and enjoyed a conversation.

"Hey, Lu-Lu, you wanna play?" Neptune said, offering him a game controller.

"I don't have much experience with video games." He said, as he took the controller. "So what am I playing?"

"This is a game called Str**t F**hter. It's a fighting game." Explained Neptune. (Censorship is real boys and girls XD)

"And I shall be your first opponent!" Stated proudly Noire.

"Ok, I guess." Lelouch wasn't sure what to expect.

The game ended almost as quickly as it began. Lelouch lost at the game terribly.

"You're awful at this." Remarked Noire, having beaten him for the fifth time already.

"Ghh, one more time! I think I'm starting to get the hang of it." Lelouch said, his pride not allowing him to walk away with this stupid losing streak.

"Sure, suit yourself." Noire was enjoying this, as she thought it felt good to beat him at something like this, the memory of her loss to him in their game of chess coming back.

"Heavens, I don't think I've ever seen someone this bad at a game." Said Vert.

"Mister Lelouch, you're really bad at this." Said Rom.

"Enough all of you! Can't you see I'm trying to win here!?" He said, irritated at the fact that he lost again.

"Hey Noire, move out of the way, this looks like fun." Said Blanc, as she took the controller from the tsundere.

They all took turns beating Lelouch at the game. He was really starting to get annoyed with the game, but when he wound up against Vert, things took a turn for the worse.

She beat him in the first seconds of the match.

Lelouch was shocked.

"How are all of you so good at this gibberish?! It's an incomprehensible, meaningless waste of time!" Lelouch had had enough of losing to the girls, flinging the controller to the side. (He needs to have some short comings so I figured something like this was perfect XD)

"My, someone sure is a sore loser." Vert said.

"This doesn't count as a loss. All of this was just because all of you are really good at the game, while I have never even touched it." Lelouch complained.

"Trying to cover yourself up with your tsundere nature won't save you. Face it, you're just awful at playing games." Said Neptune.

Lelouch pouted when Nepgear and Histoire entered the room with tea, sandwiches and pudding.

They noticed the boy's sour attitude.

"What happened here?" Asked Histoire.

"Lelouch over there turned out to be the worst at playing video games, ever." Said Blanc.

He didn't even bother to comment, as he had isolated himself inside the world of the book he was reading.

"W-Well, ok. We've brought food with us." Said Nepgear.

"Yes, well done Nepgear. Nothing will help refresh someone after so many wins like pudding." Said Neptune, earning herself a killer stare from Lelouch.

They chatted for a while and enjoyed the atmosphere.

"So, anyway, Lelouch, we were all wondering if you wanted to talk about your past, though if you don't want to we won't press the matter." Said Nepgear.

Lelouch gave her a confused look then turned to Histoire.

"They have the right to know." She said.

Lelouch gave a sigh.

"Well, since you are so interested, I will satisfy your curiosity." Lelouch said.

"Let's see, how about I tell you a story?" Said Lelouch.

"A story, yeah, we love listening to stories, right Rom?" said Ram.

"Uh-huh." Replied Rom.

Lelouch smiled at the two. Everyone was silent, as they waited for him to begin.

"This story begins with a boy, who lived in a dark world. He would survive day by day by himself in that world, hoping that one day he could change it, until he met a girl just like him, alone just like him. The boy shared his dream with the girl that took interest in him and the two set off to make their dream come true. After a few years, the boy and girl encountered a woman, who saved them from certain death. The woman would take them under her wing and help them mature into people that could stand on their own." Started to narrate Lelouch.

"The three would start to think of each other as family, as the years went by. After a few years, the boy and girl's ideals started to be shared by the people around them. They all united in an effort to change their world. One day while the boy and girl were walking alone in a forest they found items that gave them mysterious powers. The two were startled at first, but were quickly put at ease by a friend who appeared with the task to guide them achieve their dream." Lelouch took a breath before continuing, with his audience listening to every word he said.

"With their new powers, the two finally managed to achieve their goal. They ensured peace throughout their world. Sadly, all of this would soon come to pass. The woman, which the two thought of as a mother, was corrupted by some power and was deceived to act against the boy and girl. Naturally, a confrontation between them started. They would fight each other, until they managed to seal her away." Lelouch took another deep breath, as he felt regret and sadness trying to block his throat from speaking any further.

"The victory came at a heavy price, however, as the girl had fallen in battle. The boy was devastated by the loss. He and the friend who had helped them understand their powers managed the situation, but the sadness and despair that the boy felt were starting to change him. He would try to kill himself, in order to join his beloved, but was unsuccessful. His friend watched from the side, as the boy tortured himself, her heart breaking to see him like that." Lelouch continued, as he gulped down the last bit of grief.

"Eventually the boy lost his sanity. He would abandon everything that he and his loved ones had once achieved. He would go on and take revenge on the world that had done him wrong. He almost succeeded, had it not been for his friend to stop him and seal him away, hoping that things would be better that way, leaving off to fix what the boy had broken." Lelouch finished speaking, taking a deep breath and calming himself.

He then looked at his audience.

"That wasn't a good story, it was really sad." Cried Rom.

"Yeah, it can't just end like that." Ram cried too.

Everyone was trying to hold their tears back.

"I never said that it was a happy story, now did I?" Lelouch gave a sad smile.

"What happened after that? That can't be the end, right? Please say that that isn't the end." Cried Nepgear, as Neptune hugged her.

"Before I continue, I would like to ask all of you something." Lelouch said. "Who do you think is the villain in this story?"

"The villain?" asked Noire, trying to hold her tears back.

"Yes." Lelouch replied.

"Is it the woman that betrayed the boy and the girl?" asked Blanc.

Lelouch gave her a negative nod.

"No, the villain in that story is the boy." He said with a sad smile.

"But why?" asked Vert.

"Through his views he allowed himself to not see what his actions were leading to. Everything that the boy ever did resulted in the destruction of something. In that sense there is no role better fitting than that of the villain." Said Lelouch.

"Please tell us what happens afterwards." Said Uni.

Lelouch smiled.

"I think all of you know the rest of the story. You are the ones who rescued the boy from the madness and gave him a new hope after all." Lelouch smiled.

All of them burst into tears, upon realization of what the story was truly about. Lelouch had told them his life. A life full of pain and destruction.

Histoire too was crying, as she had recalled everything once more.

"Mister Lelouch, the boy in that story…" cried Rom.

"Yes, I am the villain of that story." Lelouch said with a sad smile.

"How can you say that about yourself?!" Cried Noire.

"Because it is the truth. Everything I've told you is truth." He said.

"Please stop this Lelouch." Cried Histoire. "I don't want to hear you say things like that ever again."

The oracle hugged him.

"Please, stop already." Continued to cry Histoire.

Lelouch then realized something. The words that Celina had told him back when he fought Magic.

"You fail to see how much you hurt others by hurting yourself."

He now understood what she meant.

He embraced Histoire with one hand.

"I promise to not speak like that ever again. Now stop crying and smile, you have so many reasons to do that." He said.

Histoire let go of him, brushing away her tears.

Lelouch then turned to the crying girls, only to see how they piled over him crying.

"Lu-Lu, I didn't know that you had been through something so terrible." Cried Neptune.

"Y-You jerk, why would you keep something like that from us." Cried Noire.

"It's so awful, a beautiful young man to have to go through something so horrible." Said Vert, as she brushed away a few tears.

"We'll never allow you to suffer like that again." Said Blanc, sobbing.

"Lelouch!" Cried the CPU candidates.

Lelouch was really happy that they were all concerned for him, but all their tears and their weight were starting to seriously ruin the moment.

He got them off of himself, able to stand up once more.

"Thank you for being concerned for me, but I did not tell you that story for you to pity me." Lelouch said.

The girls were confused.

"I told you because I trust all of you and I want you to trust me in turn." He said with a smile.

Neptune brushed away some of her tears regaining her composure.

"You've had your moment to make everyone cry, but now it's time you faced the consequences for making us worry." She said puffing up her chest.

"?" Lelouch was confused.

All the girls swept away their tears and stared at him.

"I really don't like the way that all of you are looking at me right now." He said nervously.

They grabbed him and pulled him over. They took out a camera from somewhere.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lelouch was confused.

"As your punishment, you will be taking a picture with everyone." Said Vert.

"But I don't want to." Lelouch tried to break free, but he was held in place.

"No running away now." Said Noire.

"Ughh." Lelouch groaned.

Histoire laughed at the display.

She joined them as the camera was about to flash.

"Cheese, everyone!" Said Neptune, as the camera flashed.

The girls went over to look at the picture and quickly raised unhappy gazes at Lelouch.

The whole picture was very nice, with the exception of a boy in the middle who was wearing the sourest face possible.

"Why didn't you smile when I said cheese?" asked Neptune angry.

"I am not going to humor all of you forever, I have my standards you know." He replied with a prideful tone.

The answer didn't really help the situation.

"Get him!" Said Noire, as all of the girls ran straight for him.

Lelouch quickly took off through the hallway and managed to lock himself in the first room he saw. It was the bath.

"Hey, open up and face the consequences of your actions like a man!" Said Blanc.

"Can't any of you go and bother someone else?!" Lelouch voiced his annoyance.

He didn't hear an answer, nor did he feel their presence anymore.

"Whew, I'm glad they gave up so easily." Lelouch said.

"I guess I'll take a bath." He said, as he undressed and entered the bath.

He had washed himself and lay in the bathtub.

"Well then, what will I do next?" He thought out loud, relaxing in the calmness of the bath.

He finished and dried himself up. He dressed himself in his gold and black attire and exited the bath. He walked over to the living room, hoping that they had gotten over the picture.

There was no one there.

"That's strange. Did they all go somewhere? Oh, well, that just means that I have the place for myself." Said Lelouch as he headed towards the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and was deeply disappointed from the lack of variety.

"What is this? Why is there only pudding in here?" He asked annoyed.

He took out one and started to eat it. Soon after he heard footsteps closing in on the kitchen.

The girls were now standing at the door, holding what looked like to be a present of some sorts. Lelouch couldn't tell because it was wrapped.

"And what pray tell is this?" He asked.

"It's a present from everyone to you." Said Nepgear.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but decided that Nepgear wouldn't be the type to tell a lie. How wrong he was.

"Thank you, I guess." He said, taking the present from her hands.

"No problem, you can open it now if you'd like." Said Uni.

Lelouch couldn't help but feel something was up, as he noticed their eyes to be glowing with anticipation. He decided to think nothing of it and opened the box.

A boxing glove on a spring sucker punched him straight in the face, sending him stumbling a few feet back.

"Ahahaha! You fell for the oldest trick in the book ever." Neptune started to laugh her ass off, along the other girls.

Lelouch recovered from the unexpected punch and was giving them an annoyed look.

"Real mature of all of you." He said.

"C'mon it was just a joke." Said Neptune.

Lelouch felt really irritated at the girls, but decided to not engage into a senseless conflict, because he knew that they were just trying to liven up the atmosphere after all that grim talk of his past.

"I hope you had your share of fun for today, because that's all you're gonna get from me." He smiled.

"Well I guess you are right, *Yawn* I'm really sleepy, let's call it a day." Said Neptune.

"Yes we should all get some sleep." Said Vert.

With that everyone was in their rooms.

Lelouch thumped on the bed exhausted.

"Man, I hope they aren't as energetic tomorrow." Lelouch complained to no one in particular before going to sleep.

* * *

 **Well what now? The answer is simple! It is time for Lelouch to have embarrassing moments with the girls! Yes he will be subjected to the full treatment, whether he likes it or not XD. I think that this is a good way to make the pause between Rebirth2 and 3, otherwise I'd burn out :). I know that my humor isn't top tier guys i apologize if some of the scenes feel boring. Well anyway i've said pretty much everything i've had to say, so thank you once more and i hope you have a great day!**


	22. A new beginning

Chapter 22: A new beginning

Lelouch woke up in his room. With no impending goal or something to do, he enjoyed staying in bed for a while. He had almost fallen asleep again, when Neptune entered the room.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead!" She yelled.

Lelouch gave her a displeased look and turned his back towards her.

"C'mon, get up already!" Neptune was starting to become impatient.

"Can't you go and bother someone else this early in the morning?" Lelouch groaned.

"Everyone's already up, you're just lazing around in your bed." Said Neptune.

That came as a shocking blow to Lelouch, because he was just told that he was lazy by someone who defined the word.

"Fine, I'm up. Now go and finding something better to do!" He shooed her away, still sleepy.

"M' kay, you should come and have breakfast Lulu." Said Neptune.

"I'll take you up on that offer." He said, as he felt really hungry.

He went and got himself changed. He arrived downstairs at the dining room.

"Good morning Lelouch." Said Nepgear happily.

"Morning." Replied the boy, as his mood worsened when he saw what the girls were eating.

"Why!? Why is it pudding again?!" He voiced his complaints.

"Huh? What's wrong with the pudding?" asked him Vert.

"The fact that there's only pudding is what's wrong!" Lelouch yelled.

"Honestly, how haven't any of you become rolling balls of sugar from so much of that stuff?" He asked baffled.

"Heretic! You dare doubt the might of the holy pudding!?" Dramatized Neptune.

"You shall be shown the error of your ways, now open wide." She got up in his face trying to feed him some of the pudding.

He brushed her aside from himself and went to make himself tea.

Histoire entered the room, also eating a cup of pudding.

"Not you too, Histoire?!" Lelouch was shocked that everyone there was eating that substance day in and day out.

"What's wrong?" Histoire was confused.

"Lelouch doesn't want to eat pudding." Said Noire.

"Of course I don't! I ate that last night, and the day before that too! I need other types of food not just sugar!" Lelouch complained.

"Honestly, I don't know what you're fretting about. This is really good." Said Uni, who took another spoon of the desert.

"We have some eggplants, if you want?" suggested Nepgear.

"Yes, anything will do at this point." Lelouch said.

"Eww, gross! Don't eat that, it's disgusting!" Said Neptune.

Lelouch was interrupted from eating his eggplant salad and drinking his tea.

"I'm really starting to get annoyed with your whining, Neptune." He remarked.

"Yeah, could you try to act more mature every now and then? It's not gonna kill you or anything." Said Noire.

"And abandon my wonderful persona, nah. Besides you get the share of seriousness when I transform, so I've got that covered." Said Neptune proudly.

"Oh, yeah, about that. Why do some of your personalities change when you transform?" Asked the boy.

"That's simple. It's because all of them are immature little girls." Said Vert, puffing up her sizable chest.

"What did you just call me, thundertits?!" Blanc got furious.

"My, it looks like someone has to teach you proper manners." Replied Vert, as the two girls confronted each other.

"Enough you two, I will not condone any fighting in the Basilicom." Scolded them Histoire.

After finishing his breakfast Lelouch washed the dishes he had used.

"By the way Lelouch, now that you have your memory back, what are you going to do?" Asked him Histoire.

"Huh?" Lelouch was struck by the truth.

He hadn't thought of what he would do after everything was done and now found himself in a stalemate.

"Well, if I have to be honest, I have no idea." He replied.

"And where will you be staying?" asked him Nepgear.

Suddenly all the little problems of the world started catching up to him.

He was deep in thought, going through his options and thinking of what he could do, when he was interrupted.

"If you'd like you can stay here, it was your Basilicom after all." Said Histoire.

Before he could answer an argument came up.

"I don't see that as fair, Histoire." Said Vert.

"Why so?" Histoire was confused.

"If he were to stay here Planeptune would have three CPUs, further increasing its Shares. So in conclusion he should come live in Leanbox, balancing everything out. Plus it would be nice to have some company other than Chika." Said Vert.

"Wait a damn minute Vert! You want him to come live with you, so he can increase your Shares!" Said Blanc. "If that's the case he should come to Lowee."

"I-I think that his talent is best meant for Lastation, not like I want to be together with him or anything!" Stuttered Noire, giving her own thoughts into the matter.

"You heard Histy guys! He will be staying here!" Said Neptune.

"Neptune are you saying that because you hope that that way he can do all the work for you?" asked Histoire.

"N-NO, what made you think of that idea?" Tried to lie Neptune.

"Yay, mister Lelouch is going to live with us." Said Rom happily.

"Awesome!" added Ram.

"What do you mean, of course he is going to come to Lastation." Said Uni.

"I think that he prefers it here." Suggested Nepgear.

Lelouch became really annoyed by their arguing. They weren't only arguing over him like some prized possession, the noise they made also made it hard for him to think something up.

"Let him choose!" Said Vert.

"Yeah, he'll decide where he'll live." Said Noire.

Everyone turned towards him.

"So where will you choose Lulu? I know it's going to be Planeptune, because you adore me!" Said triumphantly Neptune.

"*Sigh* Give me a moment to think everything through. That means for all of you to be quiet!" He said, as he began to think of a way to resolve this predicament.

He eventually reached a conclusion.

"How about this? I'll be staying in a different Basilicom every month? Is that satisfactory for all of you?" He said, having reached somewhat of an answer to the problem at hand.

The girls thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, that's ok!" Said Neptune.

"Yes, that is a just way to resolve the situation." Said Vert.

Lelouch gave a relieved sigh.

"Ok then, I hope you won't be bothering me with this subject again." He said, as he stood up from his seat.

"I'll be in the office. There are somethings I want to check." He said, as he left for the room in question.

He entered and seated himself. It felt nostalgic for him to sit down at the desk. The room was mostly the same like it was during the time he was the CPU. Lelouch gave a smile, as he took the pile of documents that was on the desk, probably for Histoire to do later, and started to go through them.

He heard knocking on the door.

"Come in." He said.

Histoire entered, smiling at the boy.

"I see that you are enjoying yourself." She said.

"Yes, it's certainly more peaceful here than with the girls." He said, as he continued his work.

"Lelouch, do you plan to become a CPU of a nation again? If you want, I can talk everything through with the girls." Asked him Histoire.

"No, I don't have the right to be a ruler. I'm only doing this because it is something that I enjoy." He replied.

"I see. *Sigh* If only Neptune was willing to work." Histoire let out a sigh.

"Still, it feels very nostalgic to see you behind that desk again." Smiled Histoire.

"Histoire, I've been meaning to ask you, what exactly are the Mascots?" Asked the young man.

"Ah, yes, I forgot that I hadn't filled you in on that subject. Well you see, apart from there being a lot of light CPUs with limited power, I took some of the energy of the light Sharicite and created the Mascots, to serve as safeguards for the nations." Explained Histoire.

"Hmm, well that explains what I heard back at Lastation when I first set out with Nepgear and co." He said.

"Would you mind if I helped you?" Asked Histoire.

Lelouch gave her a smile.

"By all means, indulge yourself." He invited her to join him.

The two sat next to each other filling in paper work. Both were silent, enjoying this nostalgic feeling, as they were going through the documents.

Lelouch noticed that Histoire was tired. She slowly started to fall asleep, leaving him to take care of the rest, as she finally laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

"I guess, she's been working extra hard to pull the weight of Neptune and Nepgear." Lelouch thought to himself with a smile on his face, as he continued with his job.

Then the rest of the girls entered the office.

"Hey, Lulu, have you seen…" Neptune cut herself off, when she saw the boy doing paper work with a sleeping Histoire laying on his shoulder.

"What is it?" He said, not taking his eyes off the documents. "I'm busy doing your work, as you can see."

"You are? That's awesome." Said Neptune, though quietly to not wake up Histoire.

"Stop that this instant, you shouldn't be doing Neptune's job for her." Said Noire.

"I'm not doing it for Neptune. I just decided to lend Histoire a helping hand and lessen her workload." He replied.

"Poor thing, taking care of everything in this nation by herself." Said Vert.

"You're a really strange guy, one minute you're ignoring people, the next you are helping them." Smiled Blanc.

"That's just who I am." He smiled back.

"Nepgear, here, I want you to take care of these. I've already gone through all of them, you only need to sort them out on the side." He said, as he handed the girl some documents.

"O-Ok." Nepgear did as she was told.

"Look Neptune, you should take cues on how to do your job from him." Said Blanc.

"Nah, I don't need to work, things will work out themselves." Replied Neptune, receiving disappointed stares from everyone and a nervous smile from Nepgear.

"Well, anyway, we came to say goodbye, as we are heading back to our own nations." Said Noire.

"Is that so, well then, I wish all of you a safe travel." Lelouch said to the girls.

"Bye, mister Lelouch, miss Nepgear." Said Rom.

"See ya." Added Ram.

"Goodbye." Said Uni, bowing her head slightly.

With that they left, leaving the Nep sisters and Lelouch with Histoire still sleeping on his shoulder.

Lelouch carefully stood up, holding the oracle, and brought her over to a sofa, where he laid her down and covered her with a blanket from a locker in the office.

The three left her to sleep closing the door behind them.

"So what do we do now?" asked Nepgear.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We shall go and have fun for the rest of the day!" Stated Neptune.

"On the contrary, both of you are going to do quests for the rest of the day." Corrected her Lelouch.

"What, no way?!" Neptune complained.

"You're going to work, whether you like it or not." Lelouch said, grabbing Neptune for the collar of her jersey and dragging her on the way.

"Release me, fiend! Have you no soul to force a beautiful young girl like me to work?!" Tried to protest Neptune. "Nepgear, help your big sis out, will ya?"

"I think we should listen to Lelouch, sis." Replied Nepgear, as she followed after the boy.

"It's really strange that you are the older sibling, when clearly Nepgear is taller and acts more mature." Lelouch said to the squirming girl.

"Yeah, we get that a lot, but still when we transform, it shows that I'm the older one!" Stated proudly Neptune.

"I find it somewhat confusing how you become a different person when you transform." Lelouch said, as he remembered back when he had transformed into Zero, his personality was different too.

"Oh, I get what's going on. You want me to transform because you were smitten with me. Then fear not, for I shall deliver!" Joked Neptune, as she transformed, making Lelouch hold a grown woman for the back of her neck.

From the side the sight would've looked hilarious for anyone who came to see it, but for Lelouch it became really annoying.

"Who told you that you can transform?" He said, irritation in his voice.

"It doesn't really matter if I transformed or not, besides I'm more likely to work like this, isn't that what you wanted?" Purple Heart said, as she got in Lelouch's face.

Lelouch blushed and tried to back away, but with every step he took backwards she took one forwards.

"You're too close!" Lelouch complained.

"You're really adorable when you get embarrassed." Said Purple Heart.

"Goodness!" Nepgear watched from the side, as her sister put Lelouch into a corner.

"So what now, there's nowhere for you to run." Said Neptune, as she leaned in closer to his face.

Lelouch was stuck against the wall, not knowing how to get out of this mess.

"G-Get a grip of yourself woman!" He tried to protest.

"You should look at yourself before you speak. You're redder than a tomato." Teased him Purple Heart.

"I'm giving you a chance, back off before I get serious!" Lelouch said.

"And then what?" she continued.

Lelouch felt really annoyed that she thought that she could make fun of him and get away with it.

"Tell you what, I'll stop if you promise to carry me on the whole way." Winked Neptune at him.

"Ughh, fine, just turn back already!" Lelouch said, as Neptune turned back to normal.

"Yay, well then I want you to carry me on your shoulders." Said Neptune.

Reluctantly, Lelouch allowed Neptune to sit on his shoulders as they took off to work. Normally this wouldn't be possible for him, but he had been training for quite some time, so he didn't really experience much difficulty in carrying her.

The real problem was the curious looks he received, as they walked over to the guild, from the people around them.

Nepgear was walking beside Lelouch, humming to herself, while the young man thought that he should bury himself alive from all the shame he was experiencing. Neptune was clearly enjoying herself, as she waved at her citizens along Nepgear.

The people gave them happy smiles and greeted them as they passed. They finally arrived at the guild.

"Ok, we're here so get off already!" Lelouch said.

Just as he was about to put her down, IF and Compa came out of the guild building.

"Iffy, look! It's Nep-Nep on top of Lu-Lu and Ge-Ge is with them too." Smiled Compa.

"What are you doing?" Asked IF confused at the sight.

"Hi guys, how've you been!" Said Neptune, as she dropped from Lelouch.

"We're great! We were on our way to inform you that ASIC has disbanded." Said Compa.

"Sweet!" replied Neptune.

"So what happened with you guys? I take it that you defeat their bosses?" Asked IF.

Neptune and Nepgear then explained everything that happened.

"What?! You're a CPU?!" IF couldn't believe it.

"Wow, so Lu-Lu is a CPU, too." Gasped Compa.

"Yeah, we were really shocked too." Said Nepgear.

"He is really cool when he transforms!" Said Neptune.

"Would you mind showing us?" asked him IF.

"Fine, I guess." Lelouch sighed.

He transformed and stood in front of the four girls who were looking at him.

"There happy?" He said.

"Lu-Lu you're so tall and muscular!" Said Compa.

"You should try to get your normal body in such a shape too." Commented IF.

"We'll see." Said Dark Heart, as he transformed back.

"Anyway, the two of them are going to do their jobs now, you can tag along if you'd like." Lelouch said, looking at the Nep siblings.

"Sure." Said IF.

"Of course we'll come and spend time with you all." Said Compa happily.

The rest of the day went on with the group going around doing quests. By the time they finished night time had fallen. They bid each other goodbye and went their separate ways.

Lelouch was lying in his bed when Nepgear knocked and entered his room.

"What is it Nepgear? Do you need something?" He asked her.

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you, that's all." She said a little nervous.

"Sure. Take a seat." He gestured for her to sit on his bed.

She did so and was now standing next to him.

"What's bothering you?" Asked Lelouch.

"I was wondering if you felt alright after everything that's happened." She said.

"Well, to be honest, I'm still thinking it over." He replied.

"What?" Asked Nepgear.

"What I should do from here on. I haven't decided yet. Histoire asked me if I want to rule over a nation again, but I declined her." Lelouch said.

"And? Did you manage to think of something?" Asked him the girl.

"Well, I thought that I can maybe help all of you out with your work, that way I will know that everything will be fine." He said smiling at her.

"You will? Then will you promise to never hurt yourself again?" asked him Nepgear, as she embraced him, tears starting flow from her eyes.

Lelouch smiled at the younger girl and hugged her back.

"I promise. I will never lose control of myself again. I will protect all of you, because I consider all of you as family." He smiled, gently stroking her head.

Nepgear looked up at him and smiled.

"You really are like an older brother to me. Always there to help and pull me through my problems." She said happily.

"An older brother, huh? I guess that's just the way I am." He smiled at the girl, remembering his own younger sister.

Nepgear stood up.

"Sorry for bothering you." She apologized.

"Don't bother yourself with it." He replied.

"Goodnight." Nepgear said, as she walked out of the room in a happy rhythm.

"Goodnight." He replied, going back to sleep.

* * *

 **Finally done. I hope you guys enjoyed the interactions between Lelouch and the girls, as they will continue for the next couple of chapters. Anyway, i hope you are looking forward to the next chapter which will feature Lelouch in another Basilicom. Where will it be? You'll have to wait and find out :D! Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	23. Tsundere adventures

**This was harder than i expected it to be. I started out with a general idea in mind, but i scrapped it a few times. This is the final product, hope it isn't too bad, because writing these doesn't appear to be my strong side (It was much easier when i had to write Lelouch's tragic backstory XD). Anyway, I hope that this chapter is satisfactory. If you find anything missing from it i encourage you to be open about it and tell me :D (By the way, I won't be writing lemons guys. A passionate kissing scene at most but don't expect anything more from me.) With that out of the way please enjoy!**

Chapter 23: Tsundere adventures

Lelouch arrived at the Lastation Basilicom.

"Welcome, it's nice to see you again." Greeted him Kei.

"The pleasure's all mine." Replied Lelouch, as he entered the lobby.

"It really is surprising that you turned out to be a CPU, though it does explain your nature to an extent." Said Kei.

"Think of it as you wish, it is none of my concern." Said the boy.

Kei smiled.

"Out of all the CPUs you are the most professional one." Said the oracle.

"I will take that as a compliment." Replied Lelouch, as the two walked to Noire's office.

Kei knocked on the door.

"Come in." Said Noire.

The two entered.

"Your guest has arrived, Noire." Said Kei.

"Greetings." Said Lelouch.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Lelouch." Greeted him Noire.

"I take it that my presence is no longer required here, so I shall return to work while you two settle things out" Said the oracle, as she left.

"Quite the persona, that one has. Anyway it's nice to see you again Noire." Lelouch said, giving her a calm smile.

"R-Right. A room has been prepared for you to stay in." Noire stuttered.

"I appreciate the gesture." Said Lelouch and looked around noticing something.

"Where is your sister?" He asked.

"Uni? She's out doing quests, I think she'll be back in an hour or so." Replied Noire.

"Ah, then I guess I should make myself useful. What is it that I may help you with?" Asked the boy.

"I-I'm fine, you should go and settle your stuff in your room." Said Noire, blushing at his statement and pointing at the briefcases he was carrying.

One was his personal belongings and the other was the spoils of another gambling session.

"Alright then, if you need me for anything I'll be in my room." He said, as he left the girl to her paperwork.

He organized all of his stuff neatly and found himself in need of something to do, so he started to plan on how he was going to spend his money.

"Hmm, I don't really need anything at the moment, so…" Lelouch thought for a second when an idea came up to him.

"Perhaps I shall buy something for the two girls?" Lelouch mused in his thoughts, until he decided that waiting around without a goal in mind wasn't his forte.

He went back to Noire's office, only to find that Uni had returned.

"Oh, hi Lelouch!" Said the younger girl, as she noticed him.

"Hello." He replied.

"What is it? Do you need something?" asked him Noire, who was almost finished with her documents.

"Well, I was wondering if either of you wanted to go out and grab something to eat, seeing as both of you are finished with your work." Said the boy, a strange tone entering his voice.

Uni noticed where his gaze was. He was looking at the documents with a sad expression.

"Lelouch are you, by any chance, disappointed that you couldn't do any work?" Asked Uni curious.

"W-What, N-No! I was just thinking how everything is in order here and that it is far better than the situation at Planeptune." Lelouch said giving the documents another glance.

"Well that is to be expected of course! Both Uni and I work very hard!" Stated proudly Noire, as she too noticed where his attention was.

"I guess you can have a look at them if you want to?" she said handing over the papers to the boy, whose expression lightened when he received the papers.

He quickly went through all of them, checking the quality of the job done. Noire and Uni were surprised at the speed he worked at.

He raised his head and gave the two a smile.

"I must say, you've done an excellent job. You have my compliments." He said, as he reorganized the papers and placed them on the desk.

"H-Hearing you praise me won't make me happy, if you thought it would!" Noire fired off in her typical fashion.

Uni was disappointed that she didn't receive any praise.

Lelouch noticed that and continued.

"Seeing as both of you're done for the day, let's go out. You do deserve some reward for work like that, so I will be paying for anything you might want." He said. (Filthy rich bastard)

"Is that so? I hope you are prepared." Said Noire.

"Well since you said so, we'll take you up on that offer." Added Uni.

With that the three went out. They were wondering where they should go to eat, when Lelouch noticed something. Noire was staring intently and yet embarrassed at a pastry shop.

"We can go inside if you want to." Said Lelouch.

"H-Huh, we will?! Ok!" Smiled Noire, as she sped up her pace.

"Is she always like this?" Lelouch asked Uni.

"No, she's acting a bit weird today." Replied the girl.

They entered the pastry shop. To Lelouch's surprise, both girls ordered a huge serving of deserts. He decided to go with a small fruit cake and some tea. They chatted while they were eating.

The trio exited the store when they were done.

"That was really nice. I've always been ashamed to walk in alone." Said Noire.

"You really shouldn't be. You are the CPU of this nation, you must have confidence in yourself, not just in battle." Said Lelouch.

"You're strange Lelouch." Said Uni.

"What?!" Lelouch was shocked that his persona came across as such.

"Not in a bad way. It's just that there aren't many people like you. Smart, strong, confident, those are qualities that most people don't have going for them. Though you are really bad at video games and you have too much pride in yourself, also the fact that you are shy about topics like relationships is really funny." Uni explained what she meant.

"Well, I hope my character entertains you." Lelouch said with a sour face.

"C'mon, you're really too gloomy. You have to brighten up!" Said Noire, stopping suddenly in front of him.

"I don't think I'm obliged to listen to comments about my perfect personality." Lelouch stated with pride.

"Yeah, sure." Said Uni.

"Do you want to, you know, um…" Noire was at a loss for words, as she was trying to say something to Lelouch.

Uni noticed that her sister was struggling and decided to give her a thumbs up in a way of showing moral support.

"W-Would you like to hang out more?" She said nervously and blushing.

Honestly, Lelouch was starting to have problems with her personality. One minute she was a tough proud girl with a strict attitude, the next she was very shy and was hard for her to express herself. He saw that Uni was something like a downgraded version of her sister. She was less confident in herself, but was a little more open to people than her sister.

"And they had the nerve of calling me strange." Lelouch thought to himself.

"Sure, if that's what you want. I personally don't have a preference of spending my time, other than reading books and playing chess." He said.

"Really?! That's great, uh, I mean, alright I guess." Noire tried to calm herself down.

Along their walk the people would greet them and would be surprised at the sight of a boy dressed in black and gold with black hair. Comments started to fly.

"Is he Lady Black Heart's boyfriend?" Asked some.

"No, he is clearly her brother. There is a resemblance." Said others.

"Nah, I doubt it, they look too much apart. The only thing that they have in common in appearance is the black hair." Argued others.

Noire started to blush from hearing what the people were saying. Lelouch and Uni ignored the crowd.

"Let's head back, there are too many people here." Said Noire, as she sped up towards the Basilicom with Lelouch and Uni following after her.

When they arrived Lelouch remembered something.

"Oh, now I remembered. I promised you that I would teach you to play chess." Lelouch said to Uni.

"Yeah, show me." Said the girl.

"Ah, that's right! You still owe me a rematch!" Noire remembered her loss to him.

"Slow down you two. Let's first set up the board." Lelouch said.

The game was set and Noire was the first to be playing against Lelouch.

"I won't lose this time!" she said, as she took the white pieces and started.

Lelouch smiled, as he took up a black pawn and moved it forwards.

"Now listen carefully, because I will not be repeating myself. Chess is a game of wit and decision making." He started to explain to Uni, who was watching and listening very carefully.

"It presents the two players with an ideal battle situation where the human factor is eliminated and is comprised of sole strategy." Lelouch continued, as the game went on.

"Every person has their unique playstyle as it is very hard to match another on intention. It's like trying to become your opponent." He continued as the game intensified.

"Though there lies the key to the game. You need to be able to predict what your opponent's next move will be and place them in a trap from which they cannot escape." Lelouch said, as he placed his king, completely defeating Noire.

"And that is check, I'm afraid." He said to Noire, who was wide eyed with disbelief that she lost once more to the same person.

"I lost again?!" Noire was shocked.

Uni was clearly also taken aback, as she didn't expect her sister to lose.

"Don't take the loss to heart, I've never been beaten at this game. The fact that you lasted this long speaks volumes about your abilities Noire." He reassured the tsundere.

"I don't want your pity! I want to know how you are so good at this!" Noire demanded.

"Well, if I were to be honest, I take great pride in my intellect, as I've put in a lot of effort in that regard. I wouldn't have been able to conquer Gamindustri if I hadn't." He said with a smile.

"You're on a different scale. I can't hope to match you." Said Uni.

"Don't worry, no one can, or at least I've yet to meet them." Said Lelouch.

Lelouch was silent for a moment when he decided to say something.

"I was curious about something. I didn't ask Neptune or Nepgear, because I didn't expect to receive a worthwhile answer. What are your goals, in other words, what do you want to achieve?" Asked Lelouch.

The girls were confused for a moment, as they started thinking on what he had asked them.

"I want to surpass my big sister!" Said Uni.

"Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be able to keep up with me." Said Noire with a proud smile.

"And what about you Noire?" Lelouch turned to the older girl, who immediately got embarrassed.

"O-Ok, but promise not to laugh!" Said Noire.

"I promise." Said Lelouch.

"I-I want to, um… I want to become a voice actress." Noire said nervously, preparing herself for the humiliation she was about to receive.

Of course that would have been the case if it was any of the other CPUs, but Lelouch was not like that. In fact, he found it really interesting. He gave a smile to Noire.

"It's always good to have a down to earth dream, it reminds you of who you are. I think that it is great that you have such a dream Noire." He said.

"You do? Then can you tell us what is your dream?" Asked Noire, blushing from the fact that he had actually encouraged her to pursue her dream, and curious as to what drove the boy.

"My dream? It was for this world to become a gentler place and I achieved it. It felt really satisfying to know that all the work I had done finally resulted into something and even to this day the world continues to be the place that I envisioned because of all of you. I'm really grateful to all of you for keeping it alive all this time. Now I don't really have one." He said with a smile.

"Then think of something you want to accomplish. I doubt that anything would be out of your reach." Said Uni.

"Yeah, it doesn't need to be something grand. It can be something small that you enjoy." Added Noire.

"I don't know if I'm capable of that. I'm not that great as you make me out to be." He replied.

"Nonsense, you're really kind and affectionate towards others, but you keep them at a distance from yourself. You do that because you don't want to get them involved with you." Said Uni.

Lelouch looked at the two girls and smiled.

"Maybe what I've always wanted was to lead a happy life." He thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the thought. "It's too late for that now."

"I don't need dreams anymore." He said.

"Are you incapable of thinking for your own being! Think, wasn't there something you always wanted from the bottom of your heart?" Noire said, as she got mad at him, grabbing him by the collar of his coat.

Lelouch and Uni were taken aback by what was happening.

"Your denying yourself won't lead to anything good. It's always better to have something that you want!" Said Noire.

Lelouch got a hold of himself.

"I always lose that which I want! There is no point in having it in the first place!" Lelouch said.

"What is it that you want?" Noire yelled at him.

"I… I had it back then, but it disappeared. You will never understand what it's like. The only thing I've ever wanted was to have people who loved me and when I found them they disappeared from my life!" Lelouch yelled back, a tear flowing from his eye.

The two girls stuttered after hearing him. Neither of them had ever seen him lash out like that. It only cleared the fact that all of that which he said was very personal to him.

"None of you should ever know what that feels like. To lose those who matter to you. All the pain, that's something that shouldn't happen to anyone." He said with a sad expression.

Noire came up to him and embraced him

"Nothing's stopping you from trying again. You just need to have the courage to do so." She said.

Lelouch calmed down.

"Can I? Can I really have it without losing everything again?" He said, calmly.

"Of course you can! You are capable of doing anything!" Said Uni, who also hugged him.

Lelouch felt really stupid for allowing himself to get all sentimental and worrying the two girls.

"I was worried about nothing, is that what you are trying to tell me?" He thought.

"Don't worry, we'll be here for you. And not just us, I'm sure everyone feels the same way. So stop trying to make a martyr out of yourself" Said Noire.

"I see. I'm sorry for acting out of place." Replied the boy.

"It's ok, every person needs to vent everything out sooner or later." Said Uni.

"Thank you, both of you. You helped me remember something very important." He said.

"And what is that?" Asked Noire.

"The reason why I won't allow any of you to die." Smiled Lelouch.

"Well, I think that we did enough for today. Let's get some sleep." Said Noire.

"Yes, goodnight." Said Uni, as she headed to her room.

"Goodnight." Waved Lelouch to the two girls as they left.

That night Noire had trouble going to sleep as she was thinking about what Lelouch had said.

"Is it really right for me to just enter his life like that?" Noire pondered.

"Is it really ok for me to love someone who's experienced the loss of love. Will he accept to move on?" questions continued to pop in Noire's head.

"Arrgh. What am I even thinking about! I should just go to sleep already!" Complained Noire, as she turned around several times in her bed.

On the next day, Lelouch had gotten up early and was making breakfast by the time the two girls arrived.

"Good morning." He greeted them.

"Good morning." Replied the two, who then saw what he was doing. "Wait, you can cook?"

"Yes, why?" Asked Lelouch.

"Well I hadn't actually seen you do it." Said Uni, who was surprised to see the boy flinging a frying pan, making pancakes.

"Hmph, you look like you know what you are doing." Said Noire.

"I'm almost done, just the last few left." Said Lelouch, as finished up his cooking session.

Noire prepared the plates, while Uni set up the table. The three were enjoying their breakfast.

"These are really good. You make a good cook." Said Uni.

"Yeah, next time I will show you how to do it better." Said Noire proudly.

"Can the two of you cook?" He asked.

"Of course, you're not bad yourself, but best leave the food handling to us." Said Uni.

With that the three finished their breakfast and got to work. Lelouch had taken the desk work, while the two girls went out to complete their assignments for the day.

When they returned Lelouch had already finished.

"Lelouch when you were a CPU did you always work all day?" Asked him Uni.

"Well I spent most of my time handling documentation, attending official events when needed to, but yes, I mainly coincided in my office." Said Lelouch.

"Noire, I'm going to over to see Nepgear. If you need me for something just call and I'll be right back!" Said Uni.

"Ok, have a safe trip." Replied Noire, as her sister left.

She then started to blush, as she realized she was alone with Lelouch.

"S-So, anyway, w-would you like to, um, try cosplaying together?" Noire asked as her speech almost became silent at the end.

"Sure, I don't see anything bad in trying, I guess." Replied Lelouch, not feeling too sure about him dressing up.

"Really?! Then, um, what type of costume would you like?" asked Noire, nervously.

A sick joke hit Lelouch, as he thought of what he would wear. He drew up a costume of a masked man with a cape, the whole thing being in dark purple and gold. He thought it to be ironical, as he remembered his other 'me', that he would dress like that. He showed Noire the design, as the girl was genuinely intrigued by it.

"Wow, it's so detailed and well thought out!" Said Noire.

"You think so?" Replied the boy.

"It's perfect, I'll begin sewing two right away!" Said Noire, as she dashed off to her room, locking it.

"Wait, why two?" Lelouch was confused, and impressed from the fact that the girl could sew.

A few hours passed, which Lelouch spent reading a book, which he took from the Basilicom library, when Noire came out with two costumes in her hands.

"That was fast. I'm amazed that you managed to complete them in such a short time!" Said Lelouch, as he was taken aback by the girl's skill.

"Yes, I worked very hard to make them. Would you like to try yours on?" She said proudly, when she handed him one of the costumes.

Lelouch smiled at the girl, as he saw that she was really enjoying herself. He put on the costume. It felt really strange to him, when he put the mask on.

Now he stood in the outfit of his alter persona, of the dark CPU Zero.

Noire was really happy that he put it on.

"So, what do you think?" She asked.

"It has an uncanny perfection to it. It suits me just as I had expected it to." Lelouch said under the mask.

"I'm more interested about your costume, actually." He replied.

"Oh, this? Give me a moment to change." Noire went over to her room.

Lelouch was curious of what the girl had done.

When she came out in the same outfit as him, though the colors were black and white with a glint of turquoise, Lelouch's jaw dropped. Thankfully he was with the mask, so Noire couldn't see that.

"What do you think? Does it sit good on me?" Asked Noire, spinning around, causing her cape to gain momentum around her.

"If Histoire saw this, she would probably receive a heart attack." Lelouch thought.

"It's a perfect ten on you. The colors match you as well." Lelouch complimented the girl.

"Y-You think, so? This outfit feels very comfortable and it looks formal, I must say you have pretty good taste to come up with something like this." Said Noire, blushing as she took the compliment.

"Well then Lady Black Heart, I hope you are satisfied with the performance." Lelouch said theatrically, as he bowed formally, causing Noire to stutter.

"I-It's not like I'm enjoying myself or anything! S-Stop assuming things!" She replied nervously.

Though Lelouch couldn't tell because of the mask she was wearing, but he was sure that the girl was as red as a tomato.

"What now, would you like to take a stroll like this?" Lelouch asked her.

"W-What, are you insane, people will see us?!" Noire fired off nervously.

"They can't possibly recognize us. We are wearing masks remember?" Lelouch said, as he started to find it enjoyable to tease the girl.

"N-No, how about we take a picture instead? You know, to make this a good memory?" Asked Noire.

"Not ready to come out of the closet are we? We'll work on that later on." Lelouch thought to himself.

"Alright then." He said.

Noire took out a camera, as she positioned it and prepared the timer.

When she got next to Lelouch, she was really embarrassed that they were actually going through with this.

Lelouch noticed that and decided to act.

"You need to have more confidence in your posture. Body language is an essential quality for a leader. Think of the camera as your subject. Here, allow me to show you." Lelouch spread out his arm in front of himself in a dramatic fashion. (The master of poses has arrived XD)

Noire was genuinely surprised and tried to imitate his behavior.

"Like this?" asked Noire who in turn tried to act out a figure of authority.

"No, you need to be more confident. Straighten out your body and allow the motion to flow through your limbs." He gave her advice.

When the camera flashed Noire went to look at the picture. It had turned out excellent, as the two were in a synchronized posture.

Lelouch took off his mask and smiled at the girl who did the same, though embarrassed.

"Well that's that." Lelouch said.

"Wait, um, let's take one without the masks. If you want to that is." Noire said nervously.

Lelouch was curious at the girl's behavior but decided to indulge her.

"Sure." Replied Lelouch.

The two stood next to each other, smiling, as they took a selfie.

Noire put back her camera and turned to Lelouch.

"Um, thanks for, you know, um…" She was trying to show her gratitude.

"Don't worry, I enjoyed myself. It's really nice spending time with you." Lelouch smiled.

Noire blushed even more. (Honestly how much before she blows a blood vessel.)

"I-I-It's not like I'm happy that you said that or anything!" Noire replied.

Lelouch chuckled at the embarrassed girl.

"Don't laugh!" She said.

"I apologize." He smiled.

"Thanks for being my friend." Said Noire quietly.

"I should thank you for allowing me to do so." Lelouch said to the brunette, running his fingers through her hair, making her blush in the process.

The day went on normally afterwards. For the next couple of weeks there was a routine of work and occasional going outside. The two dark haired CPUs enjoyed their time together.

One night, while Lelouch was sleeping, Noire had gotten in front of the boy's room and was about to enter it, when she was interrupted by her sister.

"Noire, what are you doing?" asked Uni.

Noire almost jumped up from being startled.

"N-N-Nothing! I-I was just passing by." She tried to lie.

"Then why were you headed to Lelouch's room?" Asked the younger girl.

"N-No, I wasn't! You were probably seeing things!" Said Noire.

Uni raised her eyebrow in suspicion and then gave a smile to her sister.

"Don't worry Noire, I'll support you. Just give the word and I'll be there to help you." Uni said, as she gave glances towards the boy's room.

Noire noticed what her sister meant.

"I-It's not like that! We're just friends!" Blushed Noire.

"Ok, but if you ever decided to change your mind, I'm ready to help you." Said Uni, as she left her sister.

"I most certainly won't!" Objected Noire, as she too went back to her room.

"It would be nice to have Lelouch as an older brother." Uni thought to herself smiling.

Noire thumped on her bed.

"Geez, what's with that girl, suggesting stuff like that!" Noire complained.

"I don't think of Lelouch that way, do I?" Her thoughts swam in her head.

"What's wrong with you Noire, you don't usually act like this, get a hold of yourself! You can't start to loosen up just because of a man, no matter how handsome, smart, caring, and understanding he is!" Noire was conflicting with herself.

She finally decided to put everything to rest, as she hit herself in the face with a pillow and went to sleep.

* * *

 **Ok, finally done with the Lastation fillers, now on to the next! Has the Lulu x Noire ship sailed? Probably, but right now it is still in port XD. I hope that these couple of chapters don't turn out to be the dread of the story XD. Once again i apologize for my lack of skills in writing romance, but there is always a next time, and who knows it might be better( or worse XD)! Anyway, enough of my comments. I thank you all for reading and i hope you have a great day :)!**


	24. Lelouch the babysitter

**I apologize for the late chapter, as it not only late, but on the short side as well. It was really hard for me to think up some interesting events and a way to progress things here. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 24: Lelouch the babysitter

Our protagonist had traveled to the snowy nation Lowee.

He headed to the Basilicom, gathering curious looks along the way, because after all the people didn't see a 19year-old boy wearing a black and gold outfit every day.

When he was in close proximity of the building in question he heard familiar voices.

"He's here!" Yelled Ram.

"Mister Lelouch." Yelled quietly Rom. (How is that possible XD)

Lelouch turned to see the two girls waving at him from outside of the Basilicom.

He gave them a smile as he approached them.

"Hello, you two. Were you waiting for me?" He asked, patting the two girls on their heads.

"Yeah, you arrived just on time, too!" Said Ram, happily.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

"Well, let's go in, shall we?" He said, before the three entered the Basilicom.

When they entered they were greeted by Mina.

"Hello, Lelouch, I'm glad that you were able to arrive safely." Smiled Mina.

"Likewise, Miss Nishizawa." Lelouch said, with a slight bow of his head.

"Oh, please, just Mina is fine." She said embarrassed.

"Mina, is Blanc still working?" asked Ram.

"Yes, she mustn't be bothered." Replied the oracle.

"Then, I think I shall go and lend a hand." Lelouch said.

"No fair, you shouldn't come here to work, you should come here to play with me and Rom." Complained Ram.

"Ram, I think we should let Mister Lelouch work. That way he and Blanc will finish faster and they can play with us." Said Rom.

Lelouch smiled at the two girls.

"Don't worry, when I'm done I promise I'll come play with you. Do you think you can wait for me?" He said.

After giving it little thought the two girls replied.

"Ok." They said and ran off to their room.

"I must say, you are a natural at handling children, Lelouch." Complimented him Mina.

"Am I now?" He joked, as he went to Blanc's office.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the voice of Blanc.

"Oh, it's you Lelouch, I wasn't expecting you to arrive so soon." Said Blanc.

"Hello, Blanc." Lelouch greeted the short girl.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have a few things I need to take care of, as you can see." She said.

"Would you like my assistance?" The boy asked.

"Sure, I don't mind." She replied.

Lelouch took half of her workload and started going through it. Blanc watched from the side, astonished at how natural he made it look. The two were finished in an hour.

"I'm done on my end, here, I've organized them accordingly." Lelouch said, handing the documents he was working on to Blanc.

"Thanks, I apologize for making a guest work." She said.

"That's what I'm here for. If you need help or advice concerning your position as a CPU, you can always turn to me." He replied.

"Now I hope you excuse me, but I promised that I would be looking after your sisters." He said, as he left the office.

"Hope things don't come crashing down." Thought Blanc, as she took out her writing utensils from a secret drawer.

Lelouch arrived in the twins' room.

"You're done already?! Yay, you're awesome!" Said Ram, at the sight of the boy.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

"What do you feel like doing?" Asked them Lelouch.

"We want to play outside, but Mina doesn't let us." Said Ram.

"I'm sure she won't object, if you were to go out with someone to look after you." Lelouch smiled.

The girls caught on to what he meant and smiled back.

"Yeah, let's go!" Ram said, as the three went outside.

There Rom and Ram played in the snow. Things heated up, however, when they decided to onslaught Lelouch with snowballs. He dodged most of the balls, but took a few to the face. He was surprised at the girls' aim, but was also quite annoyed from playing the target. He started to fire back at them, though he didn't throw them with full force. Surprisingly, the two were like scout infantry units, as they dashed left and right, bombing Lelouch while doing so. The snowball-fight ended with Lelouch being covered in snow and the two girls standing victorious.

"Haha! You lost." Laughed Ram triumphantly.

"We won." Said Rom.

"It wasn't really fair going two against one, now was it." Said Lelouch, as he was trying to get all the snow off of himself.

"You're just saying that because you lost." Smiled Ram.

Lelouch smiled at the two girls.

"Ok, let's go back inside. The two of you need to take a bath." Lelouch said.

"Okay!" The two replied, following Lelouch back to the Basilicom.

When they arrived back, they were greeted by Blanc who seemed to be going somewhere.

"Where are you going, Blanc?" Asked Rom.

"I'm just going to the bookstore to get the new release of a franchise that I am reading." She replied.

"Ok, we're gonna go and take a bath from playing outside." Said Ram.

"Mina went out, so she won't be able to help you wash. I don't think she'll be back for a few hours, so I suggest you wait until then." Blanc said.

"Mister Lelouch can do it, right?" Rom said, turning to the boy.

"*Sigh* Fine, I guess." Replied the boy.

"Are you sure? They are really unruly when taking a bath." Warned him Blanc.

"Well, I'll manage somehow." He said.

"Ok, then. See you later." Said Blanc, as she went off, curious if the boy would be able to put the two under control.

The twins entered the bath and soaked themselves. Lelouch was topless, because he didn't want to ruin his clothes, but was still wearing his jeans. (for obvious moral reasons)

The two girls were playing in the bathtub, while Lelouch was washing their hair.

"Mister Lelouch, you are really nice." Smiled Rom at him, as he washed the shampoo of her head.

"Is that so? Then how about I prepare something to eat when we're done, ok?" Lelouch smiled.

"Yeah!" said Ram.

Lelouch washed and helped the girls dry themselves. (I don't think that this whole scene will sit well with some people, but meh. The guy doesn't hit it off with these underage girls, so I don't really see anything wrong with it.)

When they were done, Blanc had arrived back.

"Oh, I see that you are already done." Said Blanc.

She liked that there was someone else to take care of Ram and Rom other than Mina.

"Yeah, Lelouch said that he would cook." Said Ram.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

"Do any of you have a preference for the food you want?" asked Lelouch.

"No, anything's fine, as long as it isn't poisonous." Joked Blanc.

"Hmph, I'll try to meet your standards." Lelouch smiled, as he went off to the kitchen.

Blanc looked at her sisters.

"Hey, Blanc, will you read us something until Lelouch is done?" Asked Ram.

"Sure." Replied Blanc.

They entered the twins' room and sat together. While Blanc was reading to the girls, they listened to their older sister and laid on her. Blanc really enjoyed spending time with her siblings like this.

After an hour Lelouch came to the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but dinner's ready." He said, inviting the three girls to the dining room.

All of them entered the dining room.

"Oh, it smells really yummy!" Said Ram, sniffing the nice aroma filling the room.

Mina had returned and she was sitting on the table waiting for everyone.

Everyone sat down on the table and enjoyed the soup that the young man had made.

"This is really good." Said Blanc.

"It's almost as tasty as Mina's cooking!" Said Ram.

"I'm glad all of you are enjoying it." Smiled Lelouch.

"You never cease to impress, Lelouch." Said Mina, as she took another spoonful of the soup.

Finishing their meal, everyone went to bed.

Blanc had just put Rom and Ram to sleep reading them a bedtime story, when she ran into Lelouch who came out of the bath. The boy had left his black and gold coat unbuttoned, showing the white and gold shirt he had underneath.

"Oh, it's you, Lelouch. Perfect timing, I need a favor from you, actually." Said Blanc.

"As long as it is feasible for me to do so." Replied Lelouch.

The two went over to Blanc's room.

She sneaked out a notebook from somewhere and handed it over to Lelouch.

"You've got me confused here?" Lelouch said, taking the book.

"It's my writing. I just wanted to hear the opinion of a seasoned reader." Said Blanc, a little flustered.

"You want to me to give you a critic's point of view?" asked the young man.

"Well, you can add yours if you want to, but otherwise yes." Replied the girl.

Lelouch started to read through the contents of the notebook. Emotion didn't show on his face, which kept Blanc puzzled if he was finding her work good or not. He finally finished and closed the book.

"Well, where should I begin? Your story is well thought out, though it does have some plot-holes that you should work on. For example, the character's backstories aren't clearly explained. You should devote more effort in that regard, as it makes the characters more relatable." Lelouch started.

"The setting is ok and fits the story. The narration and the dialogue between characters is satisfactory as well. Other than what I mentioned earlier, there is really nothing else that gives off a negative impression about your work." Finished the boy.

Blanc was astonished that she got to hear such well thought out and productive feedback.

"And as for my personal opinion on the story… are you sure you want to hear it?" Lelouch asked, not sure if he should continue.

"Yes." Replied Blanc.

"I find the story to be a good romance adventure, but I had a hard time with the development of the characters and their relationships. It was too fast for my tastes, I guess. Also, I won't stress about the description of the characters and the fact that it is clear from where you got your inspiration." Lelouch fired off.

Blanc felt like she was hit in the head by a giant rock.

"Though that said, that is only my personal view, I'm sure there are people who will enjoy reading your work even more than I did." Lelouch quickly tried to cover up the critique he had thrown.

"You mean you enjoyed reading it?" Asked Blanc, flustered and confused.

"Of course. It is amazing that you aspire to become a writer and are able to do your job as a CPU. You should continue as you are and improve upon yourself." Smiled Lelouch.

"Thanks." Blanc smiled back.

"Well then, I bid you goodnight, Blanc." Lelouch said, as he stood up and left the room.

"Goodnight." Said Blanc happily, full of renewed enthusiasm to continue her efforts in writing the story.

For the next couple of days, things went on normally. Lelouch would help Blanc with her work and look after Rom and Ram. In his spare time, he would relax by reading a book, or exercise by going to the Basilicom training center. To his surprise the equipment was perhaps the best out of all the nations he had resided in so far.

On one of his sessions in the gym, he met up with Blanc, who had just entered.

"I can see that you are enjoying our sports equipment." Said Blanc.

Lelouch placed the barbell, with which he had been bench pressing, back in the rack and turned to Blanc. (Damn I can't even imagine Lelouch doing something like this, though I admit I think he would look sick as hell)

"Yes, it's a fine facility." Said Lelouch, as he took some rest to catch his breath.

"I take it that you are here to exercise, yourself?" Asked Lelouch.

"Correct. It doesn't hurt to put some work into one's physical health." Replied Blanc, as she took some weights for herself.

"Well you can have the place for yourself, I'm beat." Lelouch said, as he grabbed a bottle of water and drank it.

"Have a nice time." Lelouch waved, as he left, heading for the shower.

After he was done with the bath, he took some time to glance at himself in the mirror. He noticed that his muscles had started to tone. Normally Lelouch wasn't one for to judge someone on his looks, but he was clearly satisfied with his efforts, as a smirk showed on his face.

"I just get better and better." Lelouch admired himself.

One day Blanc was in a conversation with Lelouch, when she had a strange request.

"Hey, can you transform for a bit?" she asked the boy.

"Ok, I guess." Lelouch said, as a dark light shone over him.

He stood in his HDD giving the short girl a confused look.

"Why did you want me to transform? I really prefer being in my human form, rather than staying like this." Dark Heart said.

"Well I was in need for some inspiration for my book, and I thought that I could get some from you." Replied Blanc, as she was scanning the man.

"O-Ok, I don't understand how this will help you, but alright." Said Dark Heart, a little confused.

"You can turn back now. I think I got what I wanted. Thanks." Blanc said, as she left for her room.

Lelouch transformed back to his normal self.

"What was that all about?" He thought to himself.

The truth was that Blanc was writing a separate fanfic, which revolved around the love of a boy and a girl. (Quite cheesy on her side)

A few days later, Lelouch had finished helping Blanc and the two were playing with Rom and Ram. Sadly, they were playing a competitive game- Sma** B*os (As I said censorship is real people XD)

"Yay, I win, again!" Said Ram, happily.

"…" Lelouch was seriously starting to get annoyed at his losing streak.

"Don't worry Mister Lelouch, you may not be good at games, but you are good at other things." Smiled Rom.

"Honestly, how can one be as bad as you. It seems almost impossible." Said Blanc.

"Well, it's a waste of time, anyway." Lelouch grumbled.

"That's what a loser says." Said Ram, rubbing the loss in the boy's face.

"Can't we do anything else? I'd seriously prefer just about anything compared to this." Lelouch continued to complain.

"No, it's fun playing with you." Protested Ram.

"Indeed, it is most satisfactory." Added Blanc.

"All of you are saying that, because you enjoy winning and watching me lose." He said.

"Maybe." Smiled Blanc.

Lelouch smiled back.

"Mister Lelouch, you're a good friend." Said Rom, hugging the young man.

"Uh-huh, so stop whining and continue playing!" Added Ram, as she did the same as her twin.

Lelouch stroked the two girls' hair and took up the joystick, a huge sigh leaving his lungs.

"I guess I've got no choice. Fine then, you better enjoy yourselves, because there won't be anything else in which you can beat me like this." Lelouch said, as the game started again.

"Such prideful words from a loser." Joked Blanc.

"Hey, stop distracting me! It's hard enough as it is!" Lelouch said, as he was trying his best to not lose from the get go.

* * *

 **Done, finally! You won't believe how many times i got stuck while writing this chapter :D. Heads up, next chapter will be Lulu's adventures in Leanbox, look forward to that. I've got quite a few things in mind for that chapter ;). Anyway hope you enjoyed the way i built up the relationship between Lelouch and the Lowee CPUs. Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	25. Mishaps in Leanbox

**Whew, finally finished this. A few more filler chapters left before i start with Rebirth3's story. Before we start i want to give a shout out to one of my readers who proposed the idea of introducing Rolo as a CPU candidate. I'll admit that i was contemplating on a way to add more CG characters into the story (Not all of them, mainly just a boy with a strong sense of justice, if you catch my drift ;D), though that suggestion completely blew me off my game. It made me start to think up different ways that i can have V's story to go. Anyway, enough of my comments for now, please enjoy.**

Chapter 25: Mishaps in Leanbox

The day started out normally, though there was something off.

Lelouch was travelling to the Leanbox Basilicom. Usually he would feel excited or curious to see how things in another nation stood. This time, however, he felt, let's say, displeased. He didn't have much appreciation for the oracle, Chika Hakozaki, and so far the small time he had spent with Vert didn't let on to things being better.

When he arrived he immediately put a sour face on. Chika was standing inside, apparently tasked with waiting for him, and noticed his arrival.

"Oh look, it's Lelouch. Did you finally break through your shyness and realized that you are in love with me?" Asked Chika, giving him a playful smile.

Lelouch's expression didn't change.

"Hello to you as well, Miss Hakozaki." Replied the young man, ignoring her for the most part.

"Oh, come on, you'll be staying here for the next month, so let's make friends, or if you want to go further I can always oblige." Joked Chika.

"*Sigh* I'm starting to think you are doing this on purpose. Is it that funny to irritate me?" Lelouch asked.

"Well since you asked, yes. The face you make when things don't go your way is so adorable." Chika said.

"I assume you have work to do so you can return to it. I'll be fine on my own." Said Lelouch, hoping that he would be left alone.

"How thoughtful of you, Lulu. Don't worry, I'll come play with you later." Chika winked at him and went off.

"Why not change my name from Lelouch to Lulu, huh!? I'm really starting to get annoyed by that nickname, too many people are calling me that." Lelouch thought to himself.

Lelouch decided to go to Vert's office to see if she was working.

To his surprise, the woman was nowhere to be seen. The most important part, however, was the fact that apparently she had left, finishing only a third of her work.

"Oh great. I was really hoping Neptune would be the only one who didn't do her job, and yet here I am standing in front of the harsh truth." Lelouch sighed.

"Might as well occupy myself with her work. It's not like I have anything else to do, really." Lelouch said to no one in particular, as he sat down on the desk and started to go through the documents.

Having focused his attention to the paperwork, he failed to overhear faint sounds coming from the room next door. It was when he finished that he caught on to the noise.

"What is that strange sound coming from the next room?" Lelouch wondered, as he organized the documents and headed towards the room in question.

Opening the door came like a punch to the face. Lelouch couldn't believe what he was seeing. Vert was standing there, headphones on her head, playing something on her pc and was occasionally saying something to the microphone on her headphones. She didn't even notice Lelouch was in the room.

Lelouch stood there for a couple of minutes, in an effort to take everything in. Managing to come to terms with what he was seeing he decided to act, as harsh as he could. He noticed where the power cable for the pc was plugged and went over there. Sadly, for Vert, the cable was behind her and she couldn't see the terrible deed about to befallen her. She had just clicked save, when everything went dark.

"What?! No! No, no, no!" She started to panic.

She turned around and saw Lelouch with the cable in his hand. He didn't look very happy.

"A-Ah, Lelouch, you're here. You arrived sooner than I expected." Vert tried to cover herself up.

"Hello, Vert. I'll let you know that I've been here for the last hour or so." Lelouch replied.

"Is that so, my how rude of me, to keep a guest waiting." Vert said, nervously.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself there. Hope I didn't put an end to your fun." Lelouch said sarcastically. "Oh and by the way I did your work for you, gratitude is unnecessary."

"Could you please plug in that back? I already finished with my game." Vert said.

"Sure." Lelouch plugged the cable and was on his way out. "Oh and by the way, could you show me where I'll be staying?"

"Of course, follow me." Said Vert, as she stood up from her chair.

She escorted the boy to the room prepared for his stay and showed him around.

"Are you feeling hungry by chance? I would personally enjoy lunch right about now." Said Vert.

Then, as if fate had summoned her, Chika appeared.

"What would you like for me to prepare, my darling Vert?" She asked, with the cutest expression she could make.

This behavior creeped Lelouch out.

"Well, how about some chicken stew?" Suggested Vert, as she then turned to Lelouch. "Is that alright with you?"

"Yes." Replied the boy.

"I'm off then. I'll make the best chicken stew just for you my darling!" With that Chika flew off to the kitchen.

Lelouch was seriously confused.

"Is she always like that?" He asked.

"Sadly, yes." Replied Vert. "Anyway, how would you like to past the time while we wait for lunch?"

"I don't really have any proposals, so if you think of anything let me know." Lelouch said, as he was about to leave for his room.

"Why, I think I know the perfect way for the two of us to spend our time together." Said Vert with a smile.

Lelouch couldn't help but feel something was not right with all of this. His intuition turned out right, as the two were now in the living room, with Vert preparing her console.

"If it's another one of those gaming sessions which all of you enjoy, then forget it!" Lelouch said.

"Oh, silly. This will help you solve your insecurity problem around girls." Said Vert, as she took out a game disc.

"The only problem I have is you thinking I have a problem." Lelouch complained, as he tried to protest against whatever the blond woman was trying to make him go through.

"Relax, it's just a dating-sim game." Vert said, as she turned the game on and handed the controller to Lelouch.

"A what now?" Lelouch was confused.

Per Vert's instructions he started playing the game, though reluctantly. She would watch from the side, as the boy would scroll through the story. It was your typical school romance dating-sim. Suddenly a choice bar popped up.

"What the?" Lelouch was dumbfounded as he read through both choices.

One was a cheesy way of expressing gratitude, while the other was a stern reply.

"The way this game works is for the player to make choices, and depending on the choices the player makes the story progresses along accordingly." Explained Vert.

"I see. Then it doesn't really matter what I pick, for the story still continues." Said Lelouch.

"Well, not really, but you'll figure that out later on by yourself." Sighed Vert.

Naturally Lelouch went for the wrong choice, as there was no video game safe from his terrible prowess. Vert wanted to face-palm herself, looking at the boy just deciding thins on his own logic, not investing any care for the characters and their relationships whatsoever.

When the game finished, guess what, Lelouch received the bad end.

"What the hell?! Why did that girl commit suicide just like that?!" Lelouch couldn't understand the gibberish that was the game he had just wasted his time on.

"Well, you deliberately shunned her and made her existence unknown to your character, so I think it was to be expected." Sighed Vert.

"What does my choice to not pay attention to that girl have to do with her committing suicide? It's illogical and stupid." Lelouch complained.

"Heavens, this is going to be really tough." Sighed Vert at the boy's stubbornness.

Chika entered the room.

"I'm all done! You can come and enjoy your supper." Chika said cheerfully, until she noticed the game screen.

"What happened here?" She asked confused.

"Nothing, that's what! Games are a total waste of time." Lelouch grumbled on his way to the kitchen.

"Is he really that bad at games?" Asked Chika.

"It's worse than you can imagine." Replied Vert.

The three ate their food without any commentaries on the subject of Vert's failed attempt to make Lelouch a bit more extroverted. (I actually tried a visual novel dating sim once, and guess what, the girl died at the end XD That's Japan for you.)

Chika decided to start a conversation.

"Hey, Lulu, what's your type of girl?" She asked playfully.

Lelouch glared at her.

"Stop calling me that already." He replied.

"Oh, my, then it is only fitting that I call you Lulu as well, Lulu." Smiled Vert.

Lelouch was starting to get really irritated by the two.

"So back to my question." Said Chika, eyeing Lelouch intently.

"And I will answer you just because you asked? Think again." Lelouch said, returning to his food.

"Oof, you're the biggest killjoy ever, you know that?" Complained Chika.

"Don't worry Chika, Lelouch is clearly not the type to open up about his personal tastes, but with the right methods anything can be achieved." Reassured her Vert.

"Hmph, I'd like to see you try." Taunted them Lelouch.

"Well, since you asked so nicely." Vert stood up and hugged Lelouch, placing his head in between her chest.

There was a few seconds gap, before Lelouch started to frantically pry himself from the blond.

"What do you think you are doing?! Haven't you heard of personal space?!" Lelouch complained, finally breaking free.

"You're so mean, boys your age would normally jump at the chance to spend time with ladies." Replied Vert.

"I see what you meant my dear sister Vert." Said Chika, who had snuck behind Lelouch and embraced the boy, putting her chest in contact with his back.

"You too?! Get off me already!" Lelouch pried the green haired oracle from his back.

Chika was with a curious expression for a moment.

"Is it just me or do you look somewhat different from the first time we met?" She pondered. "I think you were a lot skinnier back then."

The young man started to realize the trouble he had gotten himself into. Sadly, it was too late. Chika was already pressing him against the wall giving him a creepy stare.

"Have you been training? How much can you lift? Can you undress and show your muscles?" Were only some of the questions that she barraged Lelouch with, while eyeing him head to toe.

Lelouch turned to Vert with a begging look on his face.

"*Sigh* That's enough Chika." Said Vert.

"Aww." Chika whined while she sat back in her seat.

Lelouch managed to regain his composure.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I shall be taking my leave." Lelouch said, leaving the two girls.

Entering his room and locking it, ensuring he isn't bothered, he thumps on his bed.

"Uuugh, I think I'm going to have more trouble surviving here than in Planeptune." Lelouch complained, lying on the bed.

He took one of the books that lay on the desk on the far side of the room and began reading it on his bed. Sadly, it wasn't very interesting and he wound up falling asleep.

Lelouch woke up around 2 AM. He felt like there was nothing for him to do, so he decided to go and take a bath.

The bath was really spacious, as it had a bathtub, which looked like it could fit at least three people in it, and a few shower cabins. Lelouch decided that he wanted to relax himself, so he prepared the bathtub. He entered it and loosened himself. It was very calming to enjoy some alone time.

He failed to realize, however, two important mistakes that he had made. One, he had left the door unlocked. Two, he had spent more time in the tub then he originally planned to. Things soon took a turn for the worst, as he heard Vert and Chika's voices while he was washing himself from the soap from the tub.

"Chika, I don't require your assistance to take a bath." Tried to protest Vert.

"Whatever it is that you might say, I'm here to help you clean yourself and look gorgeous, my darling!" Replied Chika, ignoring the statement of the CPU.

Lelouch immediately ran for his towel, as he put around his waist and was about to leave when things became critical.

He was staring at Vert and Chika, both covered in towels, but naked nonetheless, and his face was that of shock, embarrassment and fear.

"Lelouch?! What are you doing here?" Asked Vert, confused to see the boy inside the bath.

"I, uh… I-I was…" Lelouch was in a state of disbelief of how bad his luck was. He couldn't even make proper sentences.

Chika, on the other hand, instead of questioning the stuttering boy, looked him over. A grin appeared on her face, as she saw that his muscles were toned and that he had even a six-pack. Vert too noticed that and the two girls entered the bath, staying in front of the boy, preventing his escape route.

"Oh my, you were hiding such a perfect body underneath all those fancy clothes." Commented the oracle.

"Since the three of us are here and all, we'll wash your back and hair for you." Said Vert happily placing her hands together.

"B-But, I… No!" Lelouch tried to protest, as the two got closer to him.

Unable to escape their grasp, the two took hold of him. It seemed like they really enjoyed terrorizing him.

"Your hair is really nice. It is straight and really soft." Complimented him Vert, while washing his head.

"T-Thanks, I guess." Lelouch said, trying to hide his embarrassment as best he could.

"You're so cute trying to hide your embarrassment." Said Chika, not helping the case.

"Well, aren't either of you embarrassed at the fact that you are sharing a bath with a person of the opposite sex?" Lelouch asked, which earned him a hug from Vert behind him.

"Not everyone's as insecure as you are. Besides both Chika and I are wearing towels so everything's fine." She said with a playful smile.

"P-P-Please, let go." Lelouch wimped, as he was feeling two very big things touching his back.

This was starting to become too much for him to handle. Thankfully, Vert let go of him.

"You're free to go, for now." Said Vert, who seemed to had had her share of fun for the time being.

Lelouch dashed off, like a rabbit that's heard gunfire, grabbing his clothes along the way and slammed the door of his room shut.

"He's hilarious. It would've been nice if he was the more assertive type, but this is fun too." Chika said, a perverted smile appeared on her face, signifying that her thoughts started to go 18+.

"Hmm…" Meanwhile Vert pondered something.

"If what he told us of his origins is true, then he had a girlfriend, who died. It's strange, considering the way he is, that she was able to make him open up to her. Whoever she was, hats off to her. I'm starting to think that boy has a natural fear of interacting sexually with women." Vert thought, as a smile appeared on her face.

Lelouch was in his room, already dried and changed into his clothes, contemplating how he was to go about things.

"Ok, calm down Lelouch. You were just in a bath with two women. Two very large women. If this is how things are going to go about here, I need to think of a way to either turn their attention away from me, or make them hate me. I'd prefer that it didn't come to the latter." Lelouch was frantically strolling left and right in his room, trying to sort out the mess in his head.

The images of the two girls in towels wouldn't leave him be at peace.

"Aargh! God damn it, hormones! Get those two's chests out of my head!" Lelouch was struggling with his nature as a man.

He started counting irrational numbers in his head to calm himself down.

The next couple of days went on with Lelouch mostly ignoring and staying away from the two girls.

"Come on, you can't act like this forever!" Protested Chika, who didn't enjoy being ignored.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." Said Lelouch.

"You should be grateful that my darling Vert and I took such good care of you. You're acting like a little kid who is too shy to face facts." Said Chika.

"Your opinion has been rejected. You can, however, be useful and bring some tea to Vert's office." Lelouch stated, as he went past the green haired oracle, who started to pout.

Lelouch went inside Vert's office, which was empty as per usual and her work was half done. He got to finishing the documents left. Normally he would be done with them and leave, but this time Vert got entered the room.

"Oh, Lelouch, you didn't need to worry yourself with those, I was just about to finish them." Said Vert.

"This is the only thing that I can enjoy doing here without being nagged on, so please don't mind me and return to your own matters." Lelouch replied.

Vert smiled at him.

"Come now, you can finish these later. Today I shall teach you how to become good at video games, or at least enjoy playing them." Said Vert.

Lelouch raised his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Really now?" Asked the young man.

"Yes, I've already had Chika make tea for us in the living room." Replied the blond CPU, as she left the room.

Lelouch gave a sigh and followed after her.

The two now stood in the room with the gaming screen in front of them. Chika had left, because she had matters to attend to.

Lelouch was holding a controller, while Vert was standing next to him.

"And what pray tell is this game?" Lelouch asked.

"It's a racing game. I think it's obvious what the goal is so there is no need for me to explain it to you." Replied Vert.

"Okay, let's see just how bad I'm going to be at this one too." Lelouch grumbled.

Lelouch played a couple of races and lost every single one. He was last place most of the time, until on his last attempt he finished 6th.

"Finally, for the first time I'm not last at a video game!" Lelouch exclaimed, beaming full of gratitude that some divine force had allowed him to achieve at least something.

"See, it's fun, you just need to have the proper mind set." Smiled Vert.

"I don't think that being satisfied with not being last is a good mind set." Lelouch remarked.

"Yes, it isn't, but it's the best that you can manage for now." Replied Vert.

"Hey, Vert, mind if I ask you something?" Said Lelouch.

"Sure, but I want the privilege to ask you a question, too." Replied the blond CPU.

"Am I getting in the way of your lifestyle? If so, I will cease to bother you. You're by far the most complex out of the current CPUs. All of them have a goal or idea to follow, while you are open minded and are capable of adapting your point of view." Lelouch said.

"Why thank you for the compliment, it is really nice to hear words of kindness from your mouth. In all honesty, I actually enjoy your company, Lelouch, though you maybe don't really enjoy mine." Replied Vert.

"I-It's not that I don't enjoy being with you, it's just that unlike the other three you are trying to figure me out on a different level. It's a welcome change of pace." Lelouch quickly said, in an effort to not insult the girl.

"You're a good person for you to put how others feel before your own needs, a shame that you had to go through what you did." Vert replied sitting next to the boy.

This time he didn't move or run away.

"You said that you wanted to ask me a question?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow, curious of what he was going to be asked.

"Yes, I wanted to ask you what is your favorite color and why so." Smiled Vert.

"My favorite color…" Lelouch thought for a second.

"I guess it will have to be black." Said the boy.

"Why is that?" Asked Vert.

"Because it is a color, which forgot that needed other colors, resulting in its appearance." Lelouch smiled.

"A satisfactory answer." Vert smiled back. "Mine is green, because I believe it to be a color of safety and prosperity."

"A good choice." Replied the young man, as he continued losing the racing game. "GOD DAMN IT!"

* * *

 **Ok, so far so good. Once more i thank you for your feedback and the fact that you are enjoying the story. I won't confirm anything of what i said in the beginning of the chapter, because i don't intend to make the same mistake like i did early on (You know, the one where i spoiled that Lelouch still had the Geass and the one where i said that i would bring Celina "C.C" in XD). What happens next is for me to know and for you to find out :D. I hope that i'm able to provide you guys with a really enjoyable continuation. Anyway, thanks for reading and i hope you guys have a great day!**


	26. Teach me, Lulu!

Chapter 26: Teach me, Lulu!

(Let's be honest, if you've played any of the games, you surely remember that tutorial screen that always pops up. I hated it XD.)

Everyone was gathered in Planeptune, enjoying some pudding, when a certain dark haired boy ruined the calm mood.

"Ok, attention all of you!" Lelouch yelled.

The girls turned to him with puzzled expressions.

"I've taken the liberty of summarizing your performances as a CPU." Said Lelouch, as Histoire moved a white board behind him.

He started scribbling a table and filling it with columns and rows.

"What's all this about?" Asked Uni, confused.

"Patience, everyone. You're going to receive very important advice." Said Histoire happily.

Lelouch finished with his board. He had made four rows, each with one of the CPUs' names, and quite some columns.

"Now, pay attention. What is the first most important thing that a CPU must do?" He asked.

"To have fun, of course!" Replied Neptune, who received a glare from the boy.

"Wrong, it's to make sure the people of his/ her nation are safe and content." Lelouch said, pointing to the first column he had made.

He ticked out the four rows.

"Gladly all of you have this covered for the most part." Lelouchc continued his lecture. "Moving on, what are a CPU's primary duties?"

"To ensure the economical stability and manage a nation." Said Noire.

"Correct." Said the young man, pointing to the next two columns.

He filled the spaces, though only Neptune's row was left unfilled.

"Why don't I get a pass?" Asked Neptune.

"And you ask?! In all the time I've spent here, I've never seen you lift a finger to do your work. The people who are stuck carrying your load are Histoire and Nepgear." Lelouch said, irritated at the girl's insolence.

Neptune was shocked that the boy was so upfront about her being lazy.

"Hey, now, I can work when I want to." Tried to protest Neptune.

"Yes, you're at least capable of doing some quests before you run out of juice and slump back into the couch." Lelouch replied.

He looked at the side to notice that Nepgear and Uni were listening to him, while Rom and Ram were playing something quietly. He was overjoyed at the fact that the two younger girls were interested in what he was speaking. When he looked back at Neptune, on the other hand, he noticed that she was about to start protesting again.

"As to why I'm lecturing all of you, it's simple. I have way more experience in this job than the four of you put together, so I would pay attention if I were you." Stated proudly the boy.

"Quite humble, aren't we?" Vert joked.

Lelouch continued onwards with his table.

"In the next couple of columns, I've written skills and traits that one needs to have in order to do the job of a CPU perfectly." Said the male CPU, as he started to fill out the brackets.

"First, we'll start out with you, Blanc." Lelouch said pointing to the table.

Blanc gave a curious look, waiting to hear what the boy had to say.

"I have no complaints about your performance as a CPU, the only issue I seemed to find was your short temper. It's unbefitting of someone of your caliber to throw fits like a child." Lelouch said.

Blanc felt like she was stabbed in the back. She really wanted to yell back at him, but knew that if she did so she would only confirm his claims, so she stayed silent.

"Next we have Noire." Continued the boy.

"I'm the best, I know. I mean, what else could you expect from me?" Noire was full of herself.

"To shut up, that's what!" Growled Blanc.

"Your dedication and attitude towards your work are excellent. You can handle most situations perfectly, except the ones that refer to your private life. When things shift to that area you lose all of your confidence and act unsure of yourself. I think that's one of the reason why you're always giving reasons for your actions, when none are needed, in turn prompting Neptune over there to make fun of you." Explained Lelouch.

Noire took that as a punch to the face.

"T-That's not true, you jerk!" Noire said in embarrassment.

"You're in no position to give critique like that, Lulu. You're in the same boat as Lonely Heart here. You can't defy your tsundere nature!" Stated Neptune, receiving glares from the two said tsunderes.

"As to Vert, well, where should I start?" Lelouch turned to the blond woman, who wasn't quite sure that he was going to say nice things.

"Your work is satisfactory, though you tend to neglect it because of your video game addiction. I don't have complaints other than that." Stated the boy.

"I-I'm not addicted to games! I consider myself a pro gamer, thank you!" Vert replied, not liking how he had put her favorite hobby.

"If that's not addiction, I don't know what is." Lelouch thought to himself.

He gave a sigh before continuing.

"And last, Neptune." He said, discouraged, looking at the purple haired girl.

"You were meant to say 'but not least' there, Lulu." Corrected him Neptune.

He didn't even bother reacting to her comment.

"It's like you have 'problem child' written on your forehead. You are lazy, you don't want to do your work, and on top of that you have the guts to be ignoring me at the moment!" Lelouch said, noticing that Neptune wasn't paying attention.

He threw the marker at Neptune, hitting her straight in the face.

"Oww! Why'd you do that?!" Said Neptune who was holding her face in pain.

"Ignore me again and I'll be throwing you through the window!" Lelouch replied, irritated from the girl.

"No one wants to listen to your boring lecture. Instead of that you could've made some type of performance, like, I don't know, sing something or dance, if you wanted to be the center of attention that bad." Neptune said, noticing that some of the veins on Lelouch's forehead had started to show.

"I think I'll be taking my leave now." Said Neptune with a dumb smile on her face, as she ran through the door.

"Get back here! I'm not done with you!" Lelouch chased after her.

"Those two are really getting along." Smiled Histoire.

"Are you sure? It looks more like he wants to lynch Neptune." Said Uni.

"No kidding. I think if an opportunity presented itself he would take it." Added Blanc.

"What do you mean? All of us would take that opportunity." Joked Noire.

"Indeed, though I have to admit, Neptune is really good at pushing his buttons." Said Vert.

"Will they be ok?" Asked Nepgear.

"Yes, don't worry. If he catches her, he will most likely drag her back and make her go through the whole process all over again." Smiled Histoire, she was happy that she didn't need to always be the one to put Neptune back in tracks.

"You seem to be in a good mood today, Histoire." Said Noire.

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of Lelouch, who was holding a squirming Neptune by the collar of her jersey.

"No! Let me go! I don't want to listen to your boring lecture!" Neptune whined.

Lelouch was starting to get really angry from playing disciplinary committee.

"Will you just shut up, already!? You're giving me a headache." Lelouch complained.

Suddenly an idea popped up in Neptune's head. She gave a smile, as she latched onto the boy.

"Get off of me this instant!" Lelouch tried to break free from the girl's clutch.

"You're mine now, buster!" Neptune said, as she transformed.

Things went bad. Purple Heart was clutching onto Lelouch's back, not letting go.

"What do you think about now?" Said the mature voice of Neptune.

Lelouch blushed and continued his efforts to pry the woman from himself.

"L-Let go!" He yelled.

"Oh, no, I am not letting go until you apologize for being so rude." She said playfully.

"Neptune what do you think you are doing?! Let go of him, now!" Yelled Noire, who was bright red.

She also transformed and went to pry Neptune from his back. The whole mess resulted in Lelouch falling to the ground, both girls sitting on top of his back.

"Ok, new rule, no transforming, unless you are in battle! You don't see me walk around in HDD, so I expect you to do the same!" Lelouch grumbled, trying to get up, but the weight of the two women was too much for him. "So heavy, get off!"

The two CPUs took offense to his comment and started pulling on his cheeks.

"You take that back this instant!" Said Black Heart, angry and embarrassed,

"Don't you know that you aren't supposed to make comments about a lady's weight?" Said Purple Heart, pulling stronger.

"Ow! Okay, I'm sorry, now please get off of me!" Lelouch yelled.

The rest of the group laughed at the performance.

The two stood up and transformed back.

"Hope you've learned your lesson!" Said Noire, still embarrassed.

"Yeah, we should be teaching you how to act around girls, not you giving some dumb lecture about stuff that no one cares about." Added Neptune.

"Ahem." Came the voice of Histoire, while Neptune realized the mistake she had made.

"The part about teaching Lelouch was alright, but, Neptune, I think that it is time you started to care about your duties as a CPU." Histoire said, with a malicious smile.

She snapped her fingers and a mountain of paperwork appeared before a speechless Neptune.

"Now then, I'd like you to finish all of these by the end of the day. If you don't, I think I will lower your allowance for a month." Said Histoire.

Neptune paled at her statement.

"Yes, m'am." She sighed, taking half the mountain of pages to the office.

"I'll help you Neptune!" Said Nepgear, who took the other half.

When the two girls left, Lelouch was curious about something, as well as the rest.

"She is on an allowance?" He asked confused.

"Yes, otherwise she would spend the whole national budget on video games and pudding." Explained Histoire.

"I can already imagine that." Said Blanc.

"That sounds like something Neptune would do." Added Vert.

"Well, I think that this covers the day." Lelouch said, as he was about to take a seat.

"On the contrary, Lelouch, I wanted you to teach the girls how to better control their powers, but seeing as how Neptune will be busy for a while, all of you can do something to pass the time." Said Histoire.

"I'm up for a game." Said Noire.

"Ok, I'll turn on the console." Replied Vert, as she did so.

The next couple of hours were spent with the girls playing video games, while Lelouch was playing with Rom and Ram, who were showing him their drawing skills.

Neptune and Nepgear arrived, the former looking like she hadn't eaten for a month.

"P-Pud-ding… I need pudding." Neptune said almost like a zombie.

"Here, sis." Nepgear handed her one of the deserts from the fridge.

After gouging on it, Neptune's life seemed to return to her.

"Alright, much better!" Neptune exclaimed, noticing that the others were playing. "Hey, you guys were playing without me, no fair!"

"Excellent, now that all of you are here, Lelouch can continue." Said Histoire.

"What?! Another lecture!?" Groaned Neptune.

"No, you simpleton, I'm going to be acting as your trainer for the rest of the day." Lelouch replied.

"What, we'll be sparring against you, sweet!" Neptune was overjoyed that she wasn't going to be listening to another pep talk.

All of them entered the training facility.

Everyone transformed and was now ready.

"Before we begin, I'd like to lay down some rules. The purpose of this exercise will be to land a hit on me. Of course I will dodge, and I will gradually start to fight back, so I suggest you start serious from the get go." Said Dark Heart.

"No need to tell anyone twice!" Said White Heart, who lunged to attack him with her axe.

He dodged her and found himself in line of Vert.

She tried to land a stab with her spear, but was unsuccessful.

Lelouch barely avoided an energy blast, fired from Uni's cannon, as he looked up to see that Noire was dive-bombing him.

"Take this! Volcano Dive!" She yelled, as giant flames erupted from where she landed her blade.

Dark Heart dodged, only to find himself surrounded by Rom and Ram's ice magic.

"Here we go!" Said the twins, as they barraged Lelouch with ice shards.

He took out his blade and started to slash through the incoming attacks.

"Eh, no way, at least one should've hit!" Complained Ram.

Lelouch gave a smirk.

"Where are you looking? Over here!" He heard Purple Heart behind him.

He noticed that she and Nepgear were about to deal a serious blow.

"Violet Buster!" Yelled the two girls, as their attack was about to connect.

Lelouch gave a satisfied smile, just as their attack was going to hit him head on.

"Tachyon Drive." The words left his mouth, as he disappeared.

Neptune and Nepgear were shocked.

"What the?! Where did he go?" Neptune was confused.

"Over here." Came the voice of Dark Heart.

He was standing a good distance away from all of the girls, the red aura and lightning emitting from him.

"So far so good, but you're going to have to do better than that if you want to be able to catch up with my speed." He said.

"Now then, if you remember, I said that I would start to fight back. Hope you are ready. Void Rupture." Lelouch slashed his sword at the girls, causing the whole vicinity to turn into sliced bread.

All of them were sent back by the attack, but didn't seem to have taken considerable damage.

"I think I've figured out that trick." Neptune said, closing her eyes and concentrating.

Lelouch was curious as to what she was up to.

"Purple Drive!" Neptune yelled, light purple aura appearing around her. (I think that this is a better buff skill than Neptune's original one in the game or any of the others for that matter. I know it's a cheesy name guys, but, what can I say, you're stuck with it :D)

Noire, Blanc, and Vert were shocked to see Neptune being able to pull that off.

"Impressive. It would seem that you compensate your lack of intellect with battle prowess." Taunted her Dark Heart.

"Oh, now it's on." Said Neptune who dashed at the male CPU.

The two clashed their swords.

"The fact that you were able to activate this boost still doesn't make you my equal." Lelouch smiled, as he pushed back Neptune.

"Do your best, sis!" Nepgear cheered for her.

"I will." Smiled Neptune, as she readied her sword once more.

"It won't be enough." Lelouch smirked.

"We'll see. Victory Slash!" Neptune slashed right through Lelouch, causing an explosion of purple energy behind her.

When the smoke cleared Lelouch was standing without even a scratch on him. He dusted himself off.

"Like I said, not enough." Lelouch vanished and appeared before Neptune.

She tried to block his attack, but the aura around her disappeared and she received a kick, which sent her a good distance away.

"What happened?" Said Purple Heart, confused as to why she couldn't block his attack.

"You just acquired this ability, what made you think that you could properly control it?" Dark Heart scolded her.

"Neptune, how did you do that?" Asked Vert.

"It's a way to channel our energy, without excessive use. What you saw me do was just that, but it seems that Lelouch has full control over it." Said Neptune.

"That's great and all but you are not being specific enough!" Yelled Blanc.

"Wait, I think I got it! We just need to focus our Share energy and condense it inside ourselves!" Said Noire, who mimicked what Neptune had done.

"Black Drive!" Greyish aura appeared around Noire.

Vert and Blanc followed suite. The former was surrounded by green aura and the latter by light bluish aura.

"They catch on quickly, considering the fact that I'm not explaining anything to them." Lelouch thought.

The CPU Candidates watched from the side marveling at their older sisters.

"That's so cool, I want to be able to do it, too!" Said Ram.

"Pretty." Added Rom.

"You can do it Noire!" Uni cheered her sister.

"Right, Neptune, you know what to do!" Said Black Heart.

"Of course." The purple aura reappeared around Neptune.

"Four against one, huh? This should be interesting." Lelouch said, taunting the girls.

The four charged at Lelouch. They were clashing their weapons and dodging each other's strikes.

"It would seem that they received a boost in speed, strength, and resiliency, however…" Lelouch thought, while evading their blows.

The four charged their energy into their weapons and slashed towards Lelouch. Before they could hit him, however, he raised his hand.

"Ok, that's enough for today." He stopped the fight.

"What, we were just about to beat you?!" Complained Noire.

The four stopped their attack and calmed down.

"No, you weren't, and trust me, you'll be thankful that I stopped the fight." Lelouch said, transforming back into his human form.

The CPU Candidates were in their human forms and were with the rest.

"You're just saying that, because you didn't want to lose." Said Neptune.

"Oh, then how about all of you turn back to normal?" Lelouch said, knowing full well what was going to happen.

"We get it already!" Said Blanc, as the four transformed back.

Immediately as they did so they dropped unconscious on the ground.

The Candidates were concerned for the well-being of their sisters.

"What happened, Lelouch?" Asked Nepgear, worried.

"It's nothing serious, they are just tired from using so much energy, that's all. Their bodies aren't used to the output of energy. They'll be fine with some rest for a day or two." Lelouch reassured the younger girls.

After a few days the four CPUs woke up in a bedroom.

"Oogh, my head, it feels like it's about to explode." Groaned Noire.

"He could've at least warned us about the side effects." Added Blanc, who too didn't feel very well.

"Well, that's that, let's go and get something to eat, shall we?" Said Vert, who was starting to recover from all the aches in her body.

"Yeah, nothing some pudding can't fix!" Stated Neptune.

The four went to the kitchen to find Histoire and the candidates there, enjoying their breakfast.

"Good morning, you four. I'm glad to see that you're all better now." Said Histoire.

"Neptune, you're awake!" Nepgear hugged her sister.

"Ouch! Nep Jr. please lay back on the hugging for a while." Said Neptune still feeling the pain from overexerting herself.

"Oh, right, sorry." Apologized Nepgear, letting go of her sister.

Uni, along Rom and Ram decided that they shouldn't hug their sisters either.

"Where's mister grumpy and mighty?" Asked Neptune, noticing Lelouch's absence.

"Please don't refer to Lelouch like that when he is present. And as for where he went, I think he said something about going out for a bit, though he said that he would be back soon." Explained Histoire, warning Neptune of the danger of calling Lelouch names.

Everyone enjoyed their food.

An hour or so later Lelouch returned with a box. Noticing what he was holding, the girls became curious.

"What's that?" Asked Ram.

"W-Well, since all of you did your best, I decided that you deserve a reward of some sort." Lelouch blushed and averted his eyes, as he placed the box on the table and opened it, revealing to be a chocolate cake with strawberries.

"Aww, you shouldn't have. Come here, you!" Neptune hugged him.

"Get off!" Lelouch pried himself free.

He noticed that everyone was giving him a strange look.

"What?" He was confused and embarrased.

"So, I guess this would be his 'dere' side." Joked Vert.

"Yeah, it seems so." Added Blanc.

"I-I'm not glad that you are being kind to us or anything!" Said Noire, blushing.

"What did I tell you, a tsundere full and through!" Smiled Neptune.

Everyone started to laugh at his expense. He gave out a sigh.

"Well, at least they're all better now." He thought, smiling.

* * *

 **Done! This chapter went fast. Just so you guys know, the fact that i'm boosting Neptune and the others doesn't mean that they'll get as strong or stronger than Lelouch just like that. Not much else to say here. As always thank you for reading and i hope you have a nice day!**


	27. To the beach we go!

**This was really hard to do. I hope it turned out ok. If not i apologize :). Anyway, please enjoy.**

Chapter 27: To the beach we go!

It was just another morning in Planeptune. Lelouch was exhausted from the time he spent on chasing Neptune around and making her work, so he decided that for today he would stay in bed. Sadly, he would not be left to his own merits.

The door to his room slammed open.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! We're going on a trip!" Yelled Neptune, causing Lelouch to fall from his bed from the shock.

Lelouch lay on the ground, cursing in his mind, unmotivated to move.

"Get lost, I don't want to go anywhere today." Lelouch grumbled, sleepily.

"Oh come on, you need to go outside and get some sun in your eyes. I'm sure that you'll feel much better!" Stated Neptune.

Lelouch groaned, knowing that he wouldn't be left alone, and stood up sluggishly. He was still sleepy, so he wasn't really listening to Neptune all that much.

"Ok, just so you know, we're leaving after everyone's gathered!" Said Neptune, as she took off to somewhere.

Her comment fell on deaf ears. Lelouch dragged himself to the kitchen to get something to eat. Upon noticing the state that he was in, Histoire and Nepgear almost jumped from their seats.

"Lelouch are you ok? You don't look very good." Said Nepgear worried.

"Hmm?" Lelouch turned to the girl, sleep still on his mind.

"Oh dear, it would seem that having to deal with Neptune proved a little too taxing for him." Said Histoire.

He still didn't quite get that, and opened the fridge to get something to eat. As expected, there was only pudding. The boy took three of the deserts and sat on the table, trying to maintain his eyes open for the duration.

"I will make some tea. It will help you rejuvenate yourself." Said Histoire.

"Yeah, … thanks." Lelouch replied sluggishly, while eating the pudding.

After breakfast Lelouch went to his room. The exhaustion was still heavy on him, so he decided to go back to bed. It was really soothing to enjoy the peace and quiet of sleep.

After what seemed like a short while, but was actually a good couple of hours, Lelouch had woken up, stretched himself out and turned around to notice some very displeased expressions. All of the girls were dressed in beachwear.

"What are all of you doing in my room?" He asked confused.

The four CPUs and their sisters were dressed in what seemed to be summer clothing, looking at him very intently.

"Why did you went back to sleep? I told you that we'll be going out today!" Yelled Neptune.

"For your information I was very tired at the time and I wasn't paying attention to you, plus I don't feel like going anywhere, so all of you can go and have fun by yourselves." Lelouch retorted, trying to shoo away all of the girls.

"You're coming mister, whether you want to or not!" Neptune said, pulling him.

"Let go, twerp!" Lelouch pulled his arm free. "You can at least explain why all of you are dressed like this and where you are going."

"Where 'we' are going!" Corrected him Noire.

Lelouch became really annoyed at the fact that they were going to drag him along their trip.

"We are going to a private beach in Leanbox." Said Vert, puffing up her sizeable chest, gaining a glare from BLanc.

After hearing the word 'beach' Lelouch immediately understood what was going on and demonstratively went back to bed.

"Yeah, have fun." He said, turning his back to the girls.

This only further angered them, as they jumped him and dragged him outside of his room like some unruly child. Rom and Ram were laughing at him, while Nepgear and Uni were feeling sorry for him.

After a few minutes Lelouch was ready to go. He was dressed in a short sleeved blue shirt and black board-shorts and had decided to put on purple framed sunglasses. Everyone was holding bags with god knows what in them. Naturally, Lelouch was given something to carry as well.

"Ok, we can finally take off." Said Blanc.

"Question." Lelouch said.

"What is it?" Asked Vert.

"How are we going to get there?" Lelouch asked.

"Flying, silly! Did you forget that you can transform?" replied Neptune.

"*Sigh* No, but unlike you, I don't transform just because it is convenient for me to do so." Replied the boy.

"We're off Histoire." Waved Nepgear, as everyone transformed and flew off.

"Have a nice time." Send them off the oracle.

Along the way Lelouch was thinking if he should ditch them and go back, but he decided that it wasn't worth the effort, since they were a good distance away now.

"Why the quiet treatment?" Joked Noire in her HDD.

"I don't think that any of you have earned more than that." Replied Dark Heart.

"Someone's a little sour." Smiled Purple Heart.

Lelouch didn't feel like being the target of their jokes, so he sped up his pace.

"That guy is a real pain in the ass sometimes." Groaned White Heart, as she and the others sped up after him.

They arrived at the beach in question and transformed back to their normal forms. The girls went to change into their swimsuits, while Lelouch was stuck organizing the towels, umbrellas and lounges.

"At least there's no one else here." Lelouch attempted to look on the bright side of things, considering the fact that he still didn't feel like this whole thing was a good idea.

He finished with his work and took off his shirt. He was lying on one of the lounges, hands crossed behind his head, when he heard the dreadful voice of Neptune.

"Yohoo, Mr. Charisma, we're done!" Yelled Neptune, in an attempt to gain his attention.

Lelouch ignored the girl and didn't even bother to sit up to look at the rest who had changed into their swimsuits.

"Yeah, good for you." Lelouch replied blandly.

Of course his reaction wasn't taken kindly to, as a volleyball hit him on the head.

"Hey!" Lelouch stood up and turned around to see everyone in their swimsuits.

Neptune was wearing a bright orange bikini with red dots. Noire was dressed in a blue and red one piece. Blanc was wearing a modest light blue swimsuit. Vert, on the other hand, was with a revealing light purple top and a bottom of the same color, but had an asymmetrical dark green cloth which was to her knees tied to her waist. Nepgear had gone for a bland white swimsuit, while Uni was wearing a black one with pink stars on it. Rom and Ram wore identical whole body swimsuits, but with different colors.

If he didn't have such great control over his facial expression his jaw would've been hanging. At first he wasn't sure what was happening, but soon caught on, as he saw their faces.

"So? Aren't you going to say something?" Said Neptune, doing a 360.

"A-All of you look, … great… I, guess." Lelouch muttered, turning his head to the side while blushing.

The girls seemed satisfied by his comment and didn't press the embarrassed boy for more.

Lelouch laid on one of the lounges under the umbrella reading a book. He had gone to play volleyball with Neptune, Noire and Blanc, but left them after receiving five consecutive dunks to the face by Noire. Nepgear and Uni were playing in the sand with Rom and Ram.

His activity was interrupted, however, when Vert laid down on one of the lounges next to him.

"Lelouch, would you mind putting this sun cream on my back?" Vert said, handing him the bottle with the sun resistant liquid.

Lelouch's face lit up.

"U-Um, sure." He replied, hoping that this wasn't one of her schemes to embarrass him.

He got the liquid on his hands and started rubbing Vert's back, while trying to look away from certain areas.

"You're really good at this. Your motions are gentle and calm. If you keep this up I might let you apply it on the front, too." Teased him Vert.

"You can surely do that by yourself." Replied Lelouch.

When he finished he sighed in relief that that was over. He was about to sit back when cold sea water showered him, causing him to almost let out a scream.

"Haah..." He tried to adjust himself to the cold before turning around to see the offender.

Neptune was standing with an empty bucket in her hands.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself there, buster." She said.

Lelouch gave her a glare and grabbed a towel to dry himself.

For Vert this seemed like the perfect opportunity to pressure Neptune.

The blond woman grabbed a hold of Lelouch, who almost jumped out of his skin from the sudden action, and looked at Neptune.

"How about we make a trade, Neptune?" She said with a mischievous smile.

"Let me go!" Lelouch was struggling with the woman's grip.

"What trade?" Neptune was confused.

"You get Lelouch, and I in turn get to have Nepgear as my younger sister." Stated Vert.

"I said let go!" Lelouch continued to struggle.

"What?! No way! I'm not selling out Nep Jr." replied Neptune.

The yelling of Lelouch caught the attention of the others.

"Vert, what do you think you are doing?! Let him go, now!" Demanded Noire with a blushing expression.

"And why would I do that? Look he is clearly enjoying himself." She replied with a smile, as the boy was still trying to pry himself free.

"Let go, thundertits!" Yelled Blanc, angry.

"You should mind your language, Blanc." Replied Vert, not happy with the little girl's comment.

Lelouch finally managed to break free from the woman's grasp and immediately put a good distance between himself and all the girls.

"I swear, if any of you enter my personal space again, I will…" Lelouch's threat was cut off by another cold shower.

He turned to see that Rom and Ram had made a prank on him. He didn't even have it in him to yell anymore.

"You know what, fine, if all of you think that this is funny then by all means laugh to your hearts' content. I on the other hand will not stand for this humiliation." Said the dark haired boy, as he entered the water and began to swim as far away from the girls as he could.

"Look what you did! How far away is he going to swim?" Asked Noire, as she saw that the dark haired boy was a few meters deep into the water and wasn't stopping.

"Is he planning on swimming back to Planeptune? Haha!" Laughed Neptune, until a sudden realization hit them.

"He wouldn't, would he?" Blanc asked, as they all turned to the boy who had stopped swimming now a few hundred meters away from them.

"How did he manage to get so far so fast?!" Neptune was confused.

"Heavens, that boy has some serious timidity around women." Sighed Vert.

Lelouch was lying on his back floating on the water's surface.

"All of them are so annoying." The male CPU complained in his thoughts.

"It's good that put some distance between us, but maybe I overdid myself?" He thought.

He noticed that the calm waves were slowly moving him towards the coast and decided that he should just lay like that until he reached the sand. They young man relaxed himself and allowed the current to move him.

"Hey, Vert, I've got an idea." Said Neptune, as she went by the blond woman and started to whisper something to her.

"Why, that's a splendid suggestion. Let us go." Replied Vert.

The two transformed, much to the confusion of everyone else and flew off towards where Lelouch was lying. He was busy trying to relax to catch sight of the women that were heading towards him.

"What are Vert and Neptune up to now?" asked Nepgear.

"Beats me." Replied Uni.

Lelouch opened his eyes to gaze at the sky, only to notice that the tranquility of his surroundings was about to be ruined. Vert and Neptune were both in HDD flying right over where he was. For some reason their CPU forms were in swimsuits too. Lelouch paled as he saw the two enter the water.

"Oh no, stay away!" He shouted, but was grabbed from behind by Green Heart.

"No need to be so alarmed, relax." She said.

The problem was that in the water, Lelouch couldn't muster enough strength to break free. He noticed that Neptune was right in his face.

"You're so cute trying to run away like that." Said Purple Heart.

"Is it really that satisfying to terrorize me?" The boy groaned in protest.

"It's really funny how you always act high and mighty, but when you come face to face like this all of that confidence disappears." Replied Vert.

Lelouch gave them an annoyed look. He noticed that maybe showing emotion on his face wasn't the best approach to this.

"Fine then, do whatever you want. Show off just how lacking you are in the moral department, like I care." He said with a bland expression.

Both girls seemed to take that as an insult and pinched him.

"We're just trying to make you have fun and you immediately resort to insults?" Neptune said, displeased with the boy's attitude.

"Who told you that I want to have fun?" He replied.

Vert pinched him harder.

"Ow!"

"Now, I don't want to hear you talk like that." Vert said, as she let go.

Lelouch was confused for a moment, but then both of them grabbed him and pulled him up in the air.

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?" He yelled.

The two smiled and let him go after they were at a considerable altitude. There was a huge splash where he landed. When he fell in the water, Lelouch felt that he should seriously start to consider killing those two. After a few moments underwater for his body to stop aching from the fall, he swam back to the surface.

From the land, everyone was trying to hold their laughter in because of the boy's sounding fall.

When Lelouch swam back to where they were, he glared at Neptune and Vert, who had transformed back.

"Hey, it was just a joke, no harm done, relax." Said Neptune with a dumb smile.

Lelouch's anger only increased.

"That. Hurt." He said through gritted teeth.

A light engulfed him, as he transformed. Now standing before the girls in his HDD, he opened his dark violet eyes with the Geass in them and gave them a grin.

"Uh… Lelouch, buddy, you aren't mad by any chance, are you?" Neptune asked, shaking with fear.

The tall man turned to the purple haired girl and gave the most fake and realistic happy smile he could.

"Of course not. I just thought that, like you said, we should have some fun." He said with a happy look.

Neptune and Vert paled. The other looked from the side, at the unfolding scene.

Dark Heart started by grabbing Neptune and throwing her with as much force as he could into the sea. Neptune landed in a huge splash a considerable distance away. He was planning to do the same to Vert, but thought that he had made an example already.

"If you don't want to end up like Neptune, then I suggest you bring me something to drink." He said with a smirk, as he laid on the lounge he had been using and continued reading his book.

"W-What would you like?" Vert asked a little nervous.

"Are you still here?" He gave her an angry look.

Vert did as she was told. Lelouch was enjoying his drink when Neptune had finally managed to swim back.

"I take it that you've been humbled, or do you want to tick me off again?" Asked Dark Heart, now calmed down.

"That wasn't nice! You could've at least allowed me to transform before you threw me!" replied Neptune, not happy with the situation.

"You should be happy that it was just that. If I were you I'd learn from this experience." He said, drinking his ice tea.

"Lelouch why are you staying in HDD?" Asked a confused Noire.

"A good question. You see I think that I've been too lenient with some of you. I have my limits like every other being. The fact that Vert and Neptune ignored my warning is proof." He replied.

"You should really learn to loosen up, having a stick up your butt about everything is boring." Commented Neptune.

"Or at least try to see the fun side of things." Added Vert.

Lelouch gave a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" He face-palmed, disappointed that the two hadn't learned their lesson.

After a few hours of normal beach activities everyone decided that it was high time to go home, but Vert proposed another idea.

"Near here is an excellent hot-spring resort. We should go there to relax ourselves." She said.

All the girls agreed and proceeded to eye Lelouch, who had returned to his human form, because he wasn't giving an answer.

"Fine, we'll go." He replied noticing their expecting gazes.

They arrived and separated into the male and female sections of the bath. Lelouch, however, had other plans. He waited to see all of them go inside the women's bath. After he made sure that all of them were inside he transformed and flew off to Planeptune.

"Maybe another time, girls. Right now I've had enough of all of you for the day." He smirked, as he increased his speed, knowing that they would be furious when they realize that he had left.

He arrived back in Planeptune's Basilicom. It was already noon.

"Oh, welcome back, Lelouch." Greeted him Histoire. "Aren't the girls with you?"

"They'll come, don't worry about it." Replied the boy with the least care possible.

"I'm going to take a shower. This whole beach experience was too much for my tastes." He added as he left towards the bath, taking off his blue shirt.

"Oh, o-ok." Said Histoire, who was confused as to what had happened.

After finishing with the shower Lelouch dried himself and put on his black and gold attire. During his stay in the bath he had thought of counter measures for the girls' anger when they return. After going to the kitchen he checked the ingredients available to him and started to cook.

Histoire entered the kitchen noticing that the boy was busy.

"What got you in the mood for cooking?" The oracle asked curious.

"I think it is more effective to deal with a problem before it is allowed to become one." He replied, only confusing the girl more.

He had prepared the whole table and meals. He took a second to pride himself on the great he had done, as always. He had put all of his effort to make the dinner look fancy, with small details like water already poured into a set of glasses, the napkins were made up and other small stuff. He hoped that this would be enough to quell the wave of rage that was about to befall him.

Just as expected, everyone arrived back with angry expressions.

"There he is! The deserter!" Said Neptune pointing at the dark haired boy who had gone to greet them.

"Look, I know all of you are probably angry, but if you just…" Lelouch was cut off.

"How dare you leave us all behind! We had to carry all the stuff you were supposed to, too!" Yelled Noire, seemingly very displeased.

"Jackass." Muttered Blanc.

"I hope you have a good explanation as to why it is that you ditched us." Said Vert, looking at him with a critical stare.

The Candidates had a mixture of disappointment and sympathy on their faces.

Lelouch took a deep breath before he continued.

"I'm sure that all of you are hungry by now, no? We can continue this discussion after dinner." He said forcing a happy smile on his face, leading them towards the kitchen.

"And there he goes, trying to act all nice and changing the subject." Said Neptune with a sigh, as everyone followed.

Needless to say, they were stunned when they saw the dinner that awaited them. Lelouch gestured for them to take a seat. Everyone did so, eyeing the work which had gone in to all the preparation. Lelouch let out a small smirk.

"They are women after all, it's normal for them to be shocked by my masterful work. Everything's going just as I had expected it to." Thought the young man, as he also sat.

Everyone had a plate of salad in front of them and all the food was neatly organized in the middle of the table to be available for reach.

"What gives with the fancy dinner, not that I'm complaining or anything." Asked Neptune, as she started to devour her food.

"Well since you asked so kindly, I suppose I shall tell you. I arranged everything you see before you just for your return." Lelouch said with the fakest smile possible.

Of course, no one caught on to the fact that he was faking kindness and were amazed.

"I must say, you've done an excellent job, Lelouch." Complimented him Vert.

"Yeah, it feels like we are in a classy restaurant." Added Noire, who was enjoying her meal.

"I'm glad that all of you are enjoying the food I prepared." He said, happy that he had avoided the issue.

"Yum!" Exclaimed Ram.

"Everything's so tasty, I wish I was as good a cook as you, Lelouch." Said Nepgear, after taking another bite from the meat that the young man had prepared.

"Yeah, can you share the recipe?" Asked Uni.

After finishing the dinner everyone was content. Lelouch mostly, for he had evaded a pointless session of back and forth accusations. Sadly, just as he was about to leave for his room he heard Vert's voice.

"Everything was sublime, but do you really think that that will be enough to dodge the topic we had before?" She said, noticing the boy's attempt to flee the scene.

Lelouch froze in place. He hadn't accounted for the fact that one of them would remember his offensive act, as he had expected for them to be satisfied with the dinner.

"I don't suppose that you can overlook it?" He asked with a nervous smile as he turned around to see that all of them had concentrated their eyes on him.

"Not in a million years." Replied Noire.

"Well then," Lelouch made a classy gesture, before he ran away. "I'm out of here."

Yelling could be heard behind him, as he was ultimately chased down and put to justice.

* * *

 **Ok, i'm putting this out there. I plan to make at least three to four more chapters before i continue on to Rebirth3's story. Why so much? You'll find out next chapter :D! Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	28. Birth of the dark Candidate

**Ok so before we start, i just want to thank you all. Were it not for you guys or girls this idea probably would've never hit me. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next to come :D!**

Chapter 28: Birth of the dark CPU Candidate

For the last couple of weeks Lelouch had been feeling rather strange. He couldn't figure out what it was that was bothering him and was in a dilemma. Gladly, he was residing in Planeeptune when all of this happened.

Histoire entered the boy's room, only to find him lying on the floor with a puzzled expression. All of the girls had gone out to hang out and they were the only two left at the Basilicom.

"What's wrong, Lelouch?" Asked the oracle, confused from the boy's behavior.

"Well that's just it, I don't know either." Replied Lelouch, gazing up at the ceiling.

"Could you perhaps go into detail?" Continued Histoire.

"Well lately I've been pretty absent minded. I'm not able to concentrate on anything like I usually do. It's like there's something on my mind, but I just can't quite make out what it is." Lelouch explained his worries. "Anyway, what is it? Do you need something from me?"

Histoire smiled at the dark haired boy.

"Actually I think I have the answer to your problems. It will me much better to show you rather than explain." Said the oracle with a happy expression, as she gestured for him to follow her.

Lelouch didn't question her further, though he was curious what it was that she was going to show him.

The two headed off to somewhere on the outskirts of Planeptune territory. Along the way there was a silence between the two, as each was stuck contemplating something.

"What is this feeling? It's like I'm being called to." Thought the dark haired boy, flexing the fingers on one of his arms, curiosity filling him.

"I hope that he will be able to cope with the situation." Thought Histoire, concerned, glancing slightly at the boy.

The oracle led him to what seemed to be an inter-space of some sorts. Lelouch was intrigued by the place taking note of the surroundings, which looked like they were on a different sub-layer of reality. Histoire noticed that and spoke.

"We're almost there." She said, gaining a silent nod from the male CPU.

After a few more minutes of walking the two entered what seemed to be the center of this strange place. In the middle of the room lay on the ground a young boy who seemed to be Nepgear and Uni's age.

"What the? Why is that boy there? Is he alright?" Lelouch ran over to the unconscious boy lying on the ground.

He checked for pulse and was relieved that the boy was alright. He didn't seem to be hurt either. The boy had brown hair and seemed to be dressed in a grey uniform with golden linings.

"How did he end up here?" Lelouch was confused.

"Allow me to explain Lelouch. This boy was born from your power. It is rather peculiar that a dark CPU's power would duplicate, because I don't have any records of it actually happening before. I guess that proves that theory." Explained Histoire, as she noticed Lelouch's shocked expression.

"In short, this boy is your younger brother, Lelouch." Smiled happily Histoire.

"My brother?!" Lelouch was shaken.

He had never expected that the boy in his arms would actually turn out to be his sibling. Lelouch felt conflicted about this and decided to share his thoughts with Histoire.

"You mean to say that this boy was born from my destructive power?" Lelouch said, concern clearly written on his face.

"You don't need to worry. A CPU Candidate's nature won't be too different from the original CPU's. Just like you, I'm sure that the boy will be a good person. He only needs someone to guide him and grow close to." Explained Histoire, hoping that Lelouch wouldn't abandon this situation.

"I can't take responsibility for something like that. Not when I myself am a threat to this world. I don't think that I can handle being an older sibling, again." Lelouch said, sad and knowing that his actions weren't those to be given as an honorary example.

"You just need to believe in yourself and believe in the boy. I'm sure that both of you will grow very close to each other." Said Histoire, trying to reassure the dark haired boy.

"I… I, guess I will try." Lelouch stuttered for a moment but then smiled, because this reminded him of back when his little sister was alive.

He felt something that he hadn't for a long while. It was joy, joy of having a younger sibling to look after.

"He's waking up." Said Histoire, noticing that the younger boy was opening his eyes.

They were violet just like Lelouch's.

The boy became confused and scared from the two people standing before him, as he woke up for the first time.

"W-Who are you?" He asked, nervous and shaking somewhat.

Lelouch notices the boy's panic and crouches down next to him.

"It's ok, you don't need to be alarmed. We won't hurt you." Lelouch said with a happy smile, stroking the boy's hair.

"Yes, both of us are here to help you understand everything that you want to know." Said Histoire with a calm smile.

The younger boy seemed to calm down after that and listened to them.

"I am Lelouch. What is your name?" Asked the dark haired young man with a smile.

"I-It's Rolo." Replied the boy.

"Rolo, I'm your older brother." Lelouch said with a kind tone.

"You are?" Rolo was confused from the situation.

"Yes and the miss over there's name is Histoire. She is the oracle of the nation Planeptune and also a close friend of mine." Lelouhc said pointing to the oracle.

"It is very nice to meet you Rolo." Said Histoire. "You don't need to be afraid, I will explain everything to you."

After that Histoire gave Rolo a full lecture on CPUs, their duties and powers, the world they lived in and why is it that he awakened there.

The younger boy, seemed to calm down and took everything in. When Histoire was finished he looked over to Lelouch.

"Let's go home, Rolo." Lelouch smiled, extending his hand to help the boy stand up.

"O-Ok, big brother." Rolo smiled back and took the older boy's hand and stood up.

Histoire was really happy to see the two boys together.

The three walked back to Planeptune. When they arrived they noticed that the girls had returned from their stroll.

"Oh, hey, Lulu and Histy are back, you guys." Neptune said, waving to the two.

"Hello all of you, there is someone I'd like all of you to meet." Said Histoire gaining everyone's attention.

"Come on, introduce yourself. They aren't bad people." Encouraged Histoire.

From behind Lelouch walked over a young boy with brown hair and violet eyes.

"H-Hello, my name is Rolo." Replied shyly the boy.

He immediately became the center of attention, as everyone surrounded him.

"It's nice to meet you, Rolo. I'm Neptune, the CPU of this nation." Stated proudly Neptune to the younger boy, who was practically a head taller than her. (That would put him at a Noire's height I think, so he is only slightly taller than Nepgear and a head shorter compared to Lelouch, who is a little taller than Vert in his human form)

"Heavens, he is so adorable!" Vert said with a smile.

Rolo became extremely nervous and was starting to slowly back away from the girls. Lelouch put his hand on his shoulder and calmed him down.

"Don't worry. I know that they are noisy and annoying, but they are good people." Lelouch said.

"Oh, ok, big brother." Replied Rolo trusting in his elder sibling's words.

"Big brother?!" All of the girls were shocked.

"That's right, Rolo is my younger brother." Replied Lelouch.

The dark haired young man turned to his sibling.

"You needn't worry about any of them, they won't do anything to hurt you. Besides I'm far stronger than all of them put together so there's that too." Stated proudly Lelouch, gaining Rolo's appreciative and respectful gaze.

"No one cares about you right now." Said Neptune, pushing the dark haired boy to the side and turned to a confused Rolo. "Come on we'll introduce you to everyone."

Everyone introduced themselves to the new CPU Candidate, who was nervous at first but managed to calm down somewhat.

"This is so unfair! Why am I the only one without a cute younger sibling?" Complained Vert.

"Will you shut up, already? You're really annoying me." Said Blanc.

Nepgear and co decided to give Rolo a tour of the Basilicom, while they got to know him.

"And this here is the office of Planeptune's CPU, though Lelouch tends to spend most of the time here rather than my sister." Said Nepgear, a little embarrassed.

"Um, I have a few questions, Miss Nepgear." Said Rolo.

"Please, just Nepgear's fine. All of us are friends after all, so there's no need to refer to us so formally." Smiled Nepgear.

"Ok, then, Nepgear, are you the older sister between you and Miss Neptune?" Asked Rolo.

"You'd be surprised that she isn't. Neptune's actually the older one." Answered Uni instead of Nepgear who blushed at the question.

"Really?" Rolo was confused.

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Said Nepgear.

"Then my other question was, what did you mean about my brother spending more time in the office than your sister?" Asked Rolo.

"Oh, um, well you see…" Nepgear was cut off by Rom and Ram.

"Neptune is really lazy so Lelouch does her work for her." Replied Ram happily.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom with a smile.

"Wha?" Rolo was confused, because Histoire had explained that every CPU must do their work in order to ensure the happiness of the people.

"Don't worry about it. Usually Histoire does it, but when Lelouch's staying he takes initiative." Said Uni, clearing the boy's confusion somewhat.

"Oh, yes, that reminds me. Everyone said which nation they ruled over, but big brother didn't say anything about him ruling a nation." Rolo said.

"Lelouch doesn't do that, though he does help everyone with work, he's really dependable." Said Nepgear.

"And he's kind and really fun to play with." Added Ram.

"Uh-huh." Said Rom, agreeing with her twin's statement.

"You are really lucky to have Lelouch as your big brother." Said Uni.

"So big brother doesn't live in one place?" Asked Rolo.

"Yes, he travels around all of the nations, staying in the Basilicoms." Explained Nepgear.

"Hey, when the two of you are staying in Lastation, would you like to train together?" Asked Uni.

"Sure, I don't mind." Smiled Rolo.

He noticed that he felt at ease with the other candidates and enjoyed their company.

The five returned to the living room to see that an argument had broken out.

"What do you mean by that? Are you implying that I'm annoying?" Said Neptune, in Lelouch's face, trying to look and sound intimidating.

Apparently Lelouch had made a comment on a conversation that the girls were having, which had sparked this conflict.

"Highly. Now get out of my face." Lelouch said, brushing away the annoying purple haired girl to the side, not caring the least bit for her attempts to make herself out as a serious figure.

"Haha. Well, sorry Neptune, but no one is taking you seriously." Smirked Noire, enjoying herself.

"Meanies, the both of you. I can't allow you to trample all over my pride as a protagonist like that." Said Neptune. "Noire, I challenge both of you to a game to see which one of us is better!"

"Like hell that I'll agree to that. You can rant on all you want. It is of no importance to me." Lelouch said, then noticed that the five candidates had returned and gave them a wave with his hand.

"Bring it, I will crush you just like I always do!" Replied Noire.

"Enough you two!" Said Histoire, who was starting to get really angry from all the yelling.

"Yes, we need to be heading home soon, anyway." Said Blanc. "Rom, Ram, come on."

"Ok." Replied the two girls.

"Hmph, know that we will settle this later Neptune. Let's go Uni." Retorted Noire, as she stormed out with her sister behind her, waving goodbye to everyone.

"Yes, I should return as well." Said Vert as she bid everyone goodbye.

After everyone left, Rolo and Nepgear sat on one of the couches, while Lelouch noticed that Neptune was about to ramble on.

"I'll show that Lonely Heart who's boss!" Neptune was hyping herself up.

"Before you do that, I suggest you go out and complete your assignments." Said Histoire.

"What?! Just me?" Neptune was shocked that she had to go solo.

"Yes, I'll be teaching Rolo and Nepgear, so you'll have to go by yourself." Replied blandly Lelouch, not caring for the girl's troubles.

"But I don't wanna go alone." Whined Neptune.

"Neptune, go to work!" Yelled Histoire, as the girl left.

"Well then I shall leave you to handle these two. I've got some things to look over." Histoire said to Lelouch.

"Ok." He replied turning to the two candidates, who had curious expressions on their faces.

"Come on you two, I will show how a CPU works." He said, as he gestured for the two to follow him to the office.

There he explained everything and showcased the process and what it entailed. He gave Rolo and Nepgear some documents for them to look over. When they were done with them, he checked the work they had done. He was satisfied that the two had done well.

"Excellent. Both of you are more deserving of Neptune's position than she is." Lelouch complimented them. "What do you say we go out to eat something?"

"Ok, big brother." Replied Rolo with a smile, glad that he had received praise from his elder sibling.

"Sure." Added Nepgear, happy for the same reason.

The three went out to a restaurant. When they finished with their meals Lelouch remembered something.

"That's right, I almost forgot. Nepgear could you escort Rolo to the weapons shop and help him buy something? Here, this sum should be enough for the two of you to buy some good equipment." Lelouch said, handing Rolo a check.

"This is a huge sum of money! Where did you get so much money form Lelouch?" Nepgear asked, as her eyes went wide from shock.

"It's a secret, which I might share later." He smiled.

"Where are you going, Lelouch?" asked Rolo.

"There's just something that I want to take care of, I'll come join you when I'm done." Smiled Lelouch, as he went off.

The two got to the weapons shop. Rolo was taking a look at all the variety, with Nepgear taking a look if there were any new model beam sabers.

"Did you find something you like?" Asked Nepgear, as she noticed that the boy had picked up something.

"Yes, two actually." Replied the boy.

Nepgear went over to see what was his choice of weaponry.

In one of his hands he held a high-tech military pistol and in the other a beam dagger with a grey hilt and red energy blade.

"Ooh, these are really good. Do you wish to buy them?" asked Nepgear.

"Yes, I like the way they handle." Replied Rolo, as he checked the pistol's aim and turned on and off the dagger a few times.

The money which Lelouch had lent them was more than enough. Just as they exited the store Lelouch was walking towards them.

"Did you manage to find something to your liking?" He asked his younger sibling with a smile.

"Yes." Rolo nodded with a smile.

"Good, because now we are going back to the Basilicom. When we do, I'm going to teach you how to use your power." Said Lelouch, as the three left for the Basilicom.

When they arrived they noticed a pudding devouring Neptune.

"I take it that you're done with your work?" Lelouch said, with a slight tone of disgust in his voice.

"Mhm!" Neptune replied, while chewing the desert.

"Well, we are going to be training so you can come when you are done." Lelouch said, as the three left.

They entered the training facility.

"Now then, first let's start with basic combat training, then we'll move on to the other stuff." Lelouch said. "Nepgear, I want you to be Rolo's sparring partner."

"Ok." Nepgear replied and took out her beam saber.

Rolo in turn took out, and turned on his dagger in his left hand, and the pistol in his right. Lelouch was intrigued at the boy's choice of weaponry.

"Begin." He said.

The two candidates proceeded to spar with each other. They exchanged blows skillfully.

"Slash Wave." Nepgear slashed with her saber, creating an energy wave, which Rolo dodged out of.

"Phase Dash." Rolo then appeared behind Nepgear and attempted to slash her with the dagger but she dodged.

Lelouch was confused for a moment as he didn't understand the ability that Rolo had just used. He paid close attention to the boy's moves as they intrigued him.

"Phase Dash." Rolo used the move again, though this time appeared in Nepgear's blind spot and shot with his pistol.

The girl managed to deflect with her blade in the last second.

"You are really fast Rolo." She said, trying to catch her breath.

"Thanks, but you are somewhat wrong." Smiled Rolo.

"What?" Nepgear was confused.

"Allow me to explain." Lelouch had figured out the trick to Rolo's ability.

"Rolo, you have an ability that allows you to alter the sense of time within a certain radius. I noticed it when the two of you moved farther away from me." Lelouch smiled.

"As expected of you big brother, you figured it out so fast." Rolo smiled back.

"So you can stop time?" Asked Nepgear confused.

"No, when something is within his zone of altered time flow he can activate it and paralyze his target, because they are not on the same wave length." Lelouch explained.

"Yes, I call it Timewinder." Said Rolo.

"Nepgear, I want you to transform and continue the spar." Lelouch said.

"Ok, HDD on!" Nepgear said, as she was surrounded by light.

Rolo was stunned to see a CPU transform for the first time.

"Ok, here we go!" Said Purple Sister preparing her gun-blade and charging at the other CPU Candidate.

Rolo activated his ability, but nothing happened and dodged out of the way.

"Huh, why is it not working?" Rolo was confused.

"That is because your Timewinder ability apparently has a limitation. It would seem that it only works on weaker or slightly stronger foes. Right now the difference in power is too big and you can't put Nepgear in the alternate flow of time." Explained Lelouch.

Rolo was dodging Nepgear's strikes trying to think of a strategy to beat her.

"Rolo, try focusing your ability on yourself solely." Lelouch gave advice from the side.

"Ok, I'll try." Rolo concentrated while dodging.

"Time Convergence." Rolo activated the ability once more, only now it did the exact opposite.

Instead of slowing down Nepgear's senses he sped up his own.

With this boost Rolo was able to regain some ground in the fight.

"Very good, both of you." Lelouch complimented.

"Time Resonance." Rolo activated his ability on his weapons, increasing their damage.

"MPBL Fire." Nepgear shot an energy blast from her gun-blade.

Rolo shot at the blast a few times with his pistol. It slowed down and eventually disappeared before hitting him.

"Ok, that's enough for now you two." Lelouch paused the fight.

The two candidates took a rest from the fight. Lelouch gave them some water to drink to reenergize themselves.

"Both of you performed greatly. Now, Rolo, after you rest, I will teach you how to transform." Lelouch said with a smile.

"Ok, big brother." Replied Rolo.

"Hey, what's up guys!" Came the voice of Neptune, as she entered the facility.

"Nepgear and Rolo had a good training session while you were pigging out. I was going to show him how to transform before you interrupted." Said Lelouch with an annoyed look towards the girl.

"Oh, then why don't you allow me to show him?" Asked Neptune.

"Fine, I guess. Rolo, do you want to see this idiot transform?" Asked Lelouch.

"Sure, I don't mind Miss Neptune to show me." Replied the boy.

"See, that's how you should act towards me too Lelouch." Said Neptune, receiving a glare from the dark haired boy.

"Access!" Neptune said, as a light engulfed her.

Rolo's jaw dropped when he saw the person who appeared in the place of the short Neptune.

"This is my HDD form. I'm referred to as CPU Purple Heart in this form." Said Neptune with her now more mature and serious voice.

This only confused Rolo more. When Nepgear had transformed she didn't change that much, so this surprised him. Lelouch noticed his sibling's confusion.

"Yeah, it's quite shocking that she has such a change of personality when she transforms. Don't worry about it, most CPUs' personalities don't change when they transform." Explained Lelouch.

"Could you perhaps elaborate on the 'shocking' part?" Said Neptune, as she got close to Lelouch.

"Back off." Lelouch said, noticing what she was getting at.

"It's just so funny how you immediately go on the defensive when a girl puts the move on you." Chuckled Purple Heart, receiving a glare.

Lelouch turned to Rolo, ignoring the woman.

"For you to transform you just need to concentrate really hard. Considering that this is your first time it won't be as easy Neptune did it, but with time it will become a natural reaction to you." Explained Lelouch.

"Come on you can do it, Rolo. I believe in you." Nepgear encouraged her fellow candidate.

"Ok, here goes." Rolo concentrated and with some effort finally managed to transform.

When the light cleared, Rolo was now as tall as Lelouch in his human form, his physique was more lean and toned. His hair was slightly longer and was black in color, his eyes were a dark shade of red with power button symbols in them. He had black armor with red linings covering his body except for the shoulders and upper parts of his arms.

"Wow, so this is HDD." Rolo/ Dark Brother was trying to adjust to his new body, feeling the massive boost in power.

"Yes, excellent. Now then…" Lelouch transformed as well.

Rolo was surprised at the change in his brother's appearance, though now the two of them looked more similar.

"Brother, what's that in your eyes?" Asked Rolo, noticing the Geass.

"This is my Geass. It is a power that only the strongest CPUs possess. Right now no one but me has it." Dark Heart explained.

"What can you do with it?" Asked Rolo, intrigued.

Lelouch smirked and turned to Neptune.

"Neptune, you will go to get everybody a pudding from the fridge." His Geass flared up.

"Ok." Neptune said entranced and left to carry out her order.

"Wow…" Rolo was speechless from his brother's power.

"Lelouch you said that you weren't going to use it after that time when you forced Neptune to work with it." Complained Nepgear.

"I just demonstrated that's all, I haven't made her do some vile deed, now have I?" Lelouch retorted.

Purple Heart returned with the three puddings and handed them out. The Geass then subsided.

"Huh, what was I doing again?" Said Purple Heart, confused and noticing that everyone was holding some of her pudding.

She quickly deduced what had happened.

"Lelouch you used your Geass again! I'm going to tell Histoire!" Said Purple Heart, angry that she had been made a fool out of.

"Relax, I didn't make you do anything embarrassing. Have some faith in me." Lelouch tried to calm her down.

"Alright then, can you help me relax?" Said Neptune getting close to him and leaning on to him.

She thought that this way she could get back at him for using his Geass, but she failed to account for the fact that in his HDD Lelouch didn't seem to be bothered by the interaction.

"Wha?!" Neptune was confused as to why the dark haired man wasn't panicking like he usually does when in his human form.

"Let's see how you like it when the tables have turned." Said Dark Heart, grabbing her tightly close to him and leaning against her.

This of course was followed by the blushing of the two CPU Candidates and the shock of Neptune.

"W-What do you think you are doing?" Neptune was tomato red, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of its chest.

"Maybe I want to take advantage of your earlier proposal?" Lelouch said with a straight face, which only prompted Neptune to panic more.

"Wh- Wh- Wh- Wh-…" Neptune wasn't able to form sentances from the sheer embarrassment and feelings assaulting her at the moment.

Just as Lelouch's head was right in front of hers he let go and pulled back. When he did Neptune was stunned for a moment.

"It doesn't feel good, does it? Next time you try another one of these pranks on me, know that I might not stop myself." Lied Dark Heart.

Of course his statement was taken as truth and Nepgear and Rolo lit up, just thinking about his words. Neptune on the other hand had teared up and looked at him angrily.

"Y-You jerk. You can't toy with a girl's heart like that." She said.

"I think that you should consider your actions more carefully next time." He said, transforming back into his human form.

He was having the biggest smirk possible, which only irritated Neptune more, as she slapped him across the face, transformed back, and ran off to god knows where.

Nepgear and Rolo were watching as Lelouch rubbed his cheek.

"Damn, if I knew she was going to hit me, I would've stayed in HDD. That hurt." He said.

"You deserved it, you know." Said Nepgear, who alongside Rolo had transformed back and ran after her sister.

Rolo was giving his brother a nervous smile.

"*Sigh* When they are assaulting me it's funny, but when I do it it's revolting. Women. Go and understand them" Lelouch complained.

"Don't worry big brother, I'm sure she won't be mad at you for long." Smiled Rolo.

"Yeah, otherwise I'd have to apologize, and I'd really want to avoid that." Lelouch smiled back.

"Oh, yes, by the way, I bought you something." Lelouch said, as he handed Rolo a silver neck chain with a cross on it.

Rolo took it and put it on under his clothes. It made him extremely happy that he had received a gift from his brother.

"We've got a matching set, though mine's black." Lelouch said as he took up his black metal chain from underneath his white and gold shirt.

"Thanks, big brother!" Smiled Rolo.

"Don't sweat it, come on, let's go eat something." Lelouch smiled back.

With that the two went to have dinner along with Histoire and the Nep sisters. Everyone ate their meals, though the atmosphere was a bit strange between Neptune and Lelouch. Histoire pressed the boy to apologize and he did so. Neptune forgave him with a resounding hug and laughter from the two candidates and the oracle, much to Lelouch's annoyance. After that everyone went to their own rooms preparing to go to sleep.

Lelouch was in Rolo's room sitting on a chair while the other boy was off to the bathroom. Lelouch was contemplating this new turn of events.

"Today was a strange day, but it brought a very pleasant surprise." Lelouch thought with a smile on his face.

Rolo returned to his room.

"Oh, big brother, is something the matter?" Asked the brown haired boy.

Lelouch turned to him with a serious look.

"Rolo, I want you to know a few things." Said Lelouch.

"Yes?" Replied the younger boy, paying attention to his brother.

"From here on, no matter what happens, I want you to know this. I'm really happy that you are my younger brother. I promise to always protect you." Lelouch smiled.

"Y-You mean it?" Rolo was starting to tear up.

"Yes, I would never lie, not to you anyway." Lelouch said, as he embraced his younger sibling.

"Lelouch." Rolo voiced.

"What is it?" Asked the dark haired young man.

"You're the best brother one could hope to have." Rolo replied, embracing his older sibling back.

"Thank you. You don't know how much those words mean to me." Said Lelouch as one of his eyes was starting to tear up.

"Come on, let's get a good night's rest." Lelouch said, as he let go and went for the door.

"Goodnight." Rolo said with a smile.

"Goodnight." Lelouch left the room and went for his.

* * *

 **Once again thank you guys. I hope that i did Rolo's character right and didn't mess up. I plan on giving his HDD slight hints of psychotic behavior as a reference to Lelouch's own madness with power. His powers aren't geass based because he is just a candidate and like i've set it up, the geass is only available to the top CPUs. I've started to give Lelouch more freedom in terms of actions, not confining them to his high ethics and allowing him to act back on pranks or other small things like that. If you think that i shouldn't do that and the character was fine the way he was please let me know.**


	29. CPU Candidate adventures

**This chapter came up on the short side, huh. Oh well, don't worry guys the next one will be the final before i start writing on V's storyline. Anyway enough of my comments :D!**

Chapter 29: CPU Candidate adventures

A few weeks had passed since Rolo's arrival and now the boy found himself to be hanging out with the other CPU Candidates. He would prefer to spend more time with his brother, but didn't dislike the girls and enjoyed their company.

The five were walking around Planeptune, conversing along the way, when they saw familiar faces.

"IF, Compa!" Waved at them Nepgear. (Hey, guess who remembered that other characters exist in this franchise XD)

"Hi, Ge- Ge!" Waved back Compa.

"It would seem that all of you are enjoying your walk." Said IF, though she noticed an unfamiliar face.

"Gear, who is this boy?" Asked IF confused.

"Is he a friend?" Asked Compa.

"Oh, yes. This is Rolo. Rolo these are my friends, IF and Compa." Introduced them Nepgear.

"H-Hello." Replied Rolo, stuttering slightly.

"Hi! You're really cute being shy like that." Giggled Compa.

"Rolo, IF works for the guild and Compa is a nurse. They helped us stop ASIC." Said Nepgear.

"So they are acquainted with big brother?" Asked Rolo.

"Big brother?" IF was confused.

"Oh, yes, they are friends with Lelouch." Replied Nepgear.

"Wait, so you are Lelouch's brother?!" IF stated in shock.

"Y-Yes?" Replied shyly the boy.

"Wow, Lu-Lu had a little brother, plus he's so adorable." Said Compa, as she hugged the boy.

"Hey, let go of Rolo. He is hanging out with us right now, so you'll have to wait your turn." Said Ram.

"By the way, do you know if Nep or Lelouch for that matter are at the Basilicom? There is some information that Histoire asked for and she told me to relay it through one of them." asked IF.

"I think that they are at the Basilicom. Lelouch was doing paperwork when we left, so he's most likely still there. As for Neptune…" Uni trailed off.

"She said that she would go over to Lastation to settle some score with Noire." Nepgear said with an apologetic smile.

"I see, well it was the better choice to tell Lelouch either way. Anyway, catch you later." Said IF, as the two girls left.

"Bye-bye." Waved at them Compa.

With that the two girls left.

"Hey, let's go to an arcade!" Suggested Ram, cheerfully.

"Ok." Replied Rolo.

The five walked around until the four girls stopped at a, sadly, familiar sighting. Underling and the rat were handing out the broken equipment from ASIC for cash.

"Hehe, this is a good way to earn some change." Said Underling.

"Yeah, it's incredible how stupid these fools are to buy these useless piles of junk." Replied her partner.

"You!" Yelled Uni.

The duo turned around to see the four CPU Candidates and a boy they hadn't met before.

"Oh crap, how did these twerps manage to find us?" Underling was shocked.

"Um, who are these two?" Asked Rolo, confused.

"They are scum who helped the guys who imprisoned our sisters. They are just some low ranked criminals." Said Uni taking out her riffle.

"Are they enemies right now?" Continued the boy.

"Yeah, we'll beat em up for all the bad things they've done!" Said Ram.

"Uh-huh!" Added Rom.

"We should destroy what they are using to deceive the people into buying." Said Nepgear, reading her beam sword.

"Hey, hold on! Five against two isn't really fair." Underling tried to defuse the situation poorly.

"Then they are big brother's enemies." Said Rolo, taking out his pistol.

"Timewinder." Rolo activated his ability causing the area around him to alter the flow of time.

He walked over to Underling and the rat and shot them a few times, before he stopped using his ability.

Underling and the rat fell to the ground in pain from the wounds they had received.

"What the hell?! When did this blasted kid manage to hit us?!" Asked Underling lying on the ground.

"Wha?!" Uni along with Rom and Ram were confused as to what had happened.

"You should allow yourselves to be arrested." Said Rolo pointing his gun towards them.

"What's up with this kid?! Oh, if only my dear angel Compa was here to save me." Groaned the rat.

They called the police and the two criminals were arrested. When the five were alone the three confused girls raised their questions.

"How did you do that?" Asked Uni, baffled.

"Yeah, you were next to us one second and right before them the next." Said Ram.

"Well, I can alter the flow of time in a radius around me." Replied Rolo.

"That's so cool!" Said Ram, gazing at the boy with sparkling eyes.

"Uh-huh!" Added Rom, who was doing the same.

"That's a useful power." Said Uni.

"Thanks." Replied Rolo, nervously scratching the back of his head.

The five went to the arcade where they spent a good hour and a half. Rolo, unlike Lelouch, seemed to be somewhat good at games, though nowhere near the master level of Vert and Neptune.

After that the group decided to take on an S ranked quest from the guild.

"Um, are you sure we should be doing this? Maybe it's best if we asked one of our siblings to come along with us." Suggested Rolo, not feeling up to the task.

"Scratch that mindset. How are we ever gonna become better than them if we are always stuck being helped. Besides it's just some strong monster against five of us. You need to be more confident in yourself!" Replied Uni, who got irritated at the boy's remark.

"I-I'm sorry." Apologized Rolo, noticing that he had offended the girl.

"Don't apologize! Jeez, you're almost as bad as Nepgear." Said Uni.

"Am I not fun to be around?" Said Nepgear, as she began to sulk.

"Ugh." Uni was starting to have too much of this.

"I like being with you miss Nepgear." Smiled Rom, raising the depressed girl's mood somewhat.

"No one cares about any of the stuff that all of you are talking about! We'll just go out there, beat up the monster, and go home where we will receive praise for the awesome job we did!" Ram lay out the plan of action, if it could be called that.

"O-Ok then." Rolo still wasn't convinced but went along anyway.

The five arrived at the dungeon where their monster slaying quest indicated. They started to beat through the small monsters until they reached their target. A giant whale floating above the ground.

"That thing is huge?!" Rolo was shocked to see their enemy.

"Hey, calm down! We'll transform and beat it like nothing." Said Uni, as she did just that and a light shone over her.

The other four followed suit and also transformed.

"Ok, here we go." Said Rolo/ Dark brother, drawing a riffle and a short sword with black and red cybernetic design.

"Wow, that was a change of attitude." Smiled Ram in her HDD, as she and Rom cast ice magic on the creature.

Uni stayed behind and fired at it from a distance, while Nepgear slashed at it a few times with her gun-blade.

The damage proved minimum, however, as the monster brushed it off and attacked Nepgear.

"Phase Dash." Rolo dashed through the monster's attack and got Nepgear out of the way.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Replied Nepgear.

"Alright I'm going to try something but I'll need all of you to put some distance between yourselves and me." Rolo told the girls.

"Right." Nepgear started to back away with Rom and Ram.

When Rolo decided that they were at a satisfactory distance from him he turned back to the whale.

"Ok, hope this works. Timewinder." Rolo activated his ability and the monster got caught in the radius of the altered flow of time.

"Alright! Time Resonance." He enhanced his weapons and readied his attack.

"Chronobreak!" Rolo began to slash through the whale and jumped up firing a red energy blast from his riffle dealing massive damage to the monster.

When he landed he slashed at the whale one last time and deactivated his ability.

The whale instantly disappeared into pixels, as it had already been defeated. The only thing holding it alive was Rolo's alteration of its senses and when he stopped, reality caught up to the beast.

"*Pant* Whew, that was hard." Rolo tried to catch his breath.

The girls ran over to him.

"That was so awesome!" Said Ram.

"Are you ok?" Asked Rom, concerned for the boy.

"Yes, I'm fine, only that I tire myself out considerably when I have to keep my Timewinder active for a long period of time. My limit used to be 5 seconds, but big brother's been training me to better control it and now I can hold up to 8." Rolo said, sitting on the ground for rest.

"It must be tough, huh." Said Uni.

"Yeah, but like you said, if I don't commit enough dedication and work, I won't be able to stand up by myself." Smiled Rolo.

"I know what you mean. I used to feel very sad and scared when Neptune wasn't around, but I learned to do things without her and we eventually managed to save our sisters. Though I would've never been able to do it on my own." Blushed Nepgear.

"Yeah, because that's what friends are for!" Said Ram happily.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

The five transformed back.

"Come on, let's go turn in the quest." Uni gestured for them to get going.

After they did so, the group walked back to the Basilicom. On their way they were conversing about their older siblings.

"Nepgear, I've been curious. What's it like to have Neptune as your older sister?" Asked Rolo, having a mixed opinion of the girl, based on his interactions with her and the ones between her and Lelouch.

"Well, she's very cute when she lazes about and the face she makes when she eats pudding is so adorable! There are times when I wish she paid more attention to me though, but despite that I know that she really loves me." Said Nepgear happily, gaining the confused looks of the others.

"Um, ok. How about you Uni?" Rolo directed his question towards the young tsundere.

"My sister is very hardworking and strong. Though we don't really spend much time together, I know that she is a really good person. My dream is to surpass her one day." Uni replied.

Rolo smiled, but then felt someone tugging on his uniform's left sleeve. He turned his head to see Rom and Ram.

"Blanc is totally awesome when she is not working or reading books!" Said Ram.

"She reads us stories and plays with us when she has the time." Added Rom, cheerfully.

"What about you Rolo? What's it like to have Lelouch as your older brother?" Asked Uni, curious.

The four girls all waited to hear his reply with intrigued looks.

"Big brother is very kind and smart. He always helps me with and explains stuff that I don't understand or am having trouble with. He is always calm and confident. I wish I could be like him." Rolo replied with a happy smile.

"Yeah, you're right, he is a great person." Said Uni.

"Hey, Rolo! Do you have any hobbies?" Asked Ram.

"Well..." Rolo couldn't tell them that he enjoyed spending his free time accompanying his brother to his chess gambling matches because he had promised to keep it a secret.

"Not at the moment." He replied.

"Mine and Rom's is to draw." Said Ram.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Rolo asked, turning to Uni and Nepgear.

"I collect guns and I enjoy reading about their design and craftsmanship." Replied Uni.

"I really like robots and cool high-tech gadgets. They are so awesome! I sometimes try to build something of my own, but it fails most of the time." Nepgear said, feeling a little down.

Rolo had a confused impression of the two girls' statements.

They arrived back at the Basilicom and entered to find that everyone had gathered in the living room, forming a somewhat strange picture.

Noire was trying to get to Neptune with anger brimming from her eyes. Neptune was sticking her tongue out mocking her, while Vert and Blanc were arguing about something. The part that stood out the most, however, was the fact that Lelouch was laying on the sofa reading a book, completely ignoring the situation around him.

"Um, hello?" Greeted Nepgear, who received a pleading look from Lelouch indicating that he wanted her to go and get Histoire.

Nepgear went to the oracle's office. The others entered the room and were mostly ignored. Rolo and Uni went to sit next to Lelouch, while Rom and Ram started playing on the console in the living room.

Noire managed to grab Neptune by the hair.

"Got you! I'm going to beat the crap out of you for mocking me, Neptune!" Proclaimed Noire.

"Hey, let go!" Neptune pulled on one of Noire's twin-tails.

"Ow! Why you!" Noire started pinching her cheek.

"Um, shouldn't we stop them?" Asked Rolo.

"No, I've had it with their childish squabbles. I plan to allow them to beat each other, that way they won't be bothering me." Lelouch replied, disinterested in what was happening around him.

"Um... Lelouch..." Uni was looking at him with a nervous look.

Lelouch noticed her gaze and the direction that it was pointing to. He turned around to see Neptune and Noire looking at him angrily.

"What?" He said, before his cheeks were pulled by the two girls.

"We won't be bothering you, huh? Are you implying that we are annoying?" Said Noire, as she strengthened her grip on his left cheek.

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it!" Lelouch yelled.

That moment Histoire entered with Nepgear. Everyone seemed to cease what they were doing and looked at the oracle, who looked like she was going to blow a fuse.

"What are all of you doing?! You should be ashamed that you are acting like some children!" She scolded the four CPUs, who looked at the ground with shame.

"Lelouch, why didn't you resolve the situation?" The oracle judged him.

"Why am I suddenly at fault here?" Lelouch was annoyed at the accusation while rubbing his cheeks from the pain he was feeling.

"You, being the most mature out of everyone here, should've stopped them." Said Histoire.

"Yeah, that's right, but you didn't lift a finger and were lazing on the couch." Neptune added, following the direction of the conversation to ensure that she was not the target of Histoire's scolding.

"Not like you are one to call others lazy." Remarked Noire.

"I dare you to call me lazy one more time, Neptune. We'll see how well it will turn out for you." Lelouch threatened the purple haired girl.

"You two are like the dynamic duo of loners." Joked Neptune, which didn't help the situation more.

"Well, it's normal, considering Lelouch and Noire's issues." Said Vert, whose comment wasn't taken lightly.

"What?!" Noire yelled.

"Hmph, you speak that someone has issues, when you yourself have a stupid addiction." Lelouch replied.

"Will all of you just shut up, already?!" Yelled Blanc, who was annoyed from the whole conversation.

The CPU Candidates watched as another arguing ensued. Histoire finally managed to put the whole thing under the rug and disbanded the conflicting parties.

* * *

 **Well i hope that this chapter wasn't completely boring. I think that I covered the interactions between Rolo and the other candidates ok-ish. Next one will be the one guys, the chapter in which Lulu goes on a date. Of course expect everything to come crashing down :D. As always thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	30. Lelouch's affection

**Before we begin i just want to say that i hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because i really tried my best with it. As always please enjoy!**

Chapter 30: Lelouch's affection

Lelouch woke up in his room in the Lastation Basilicom. He thought that it was going to be another calm day, as he went to the bath to take a shower. Little did he know that this day would turn out to be rather strange.

After he finished with the bath and dressed himself, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. On the way he saw Rolo and Uni heading off somewhere.

"Good morning, you two. Where are you going?" He asked.

"Good morning, big brother. We are going out to train." Replied Rolo.

"I see. Well, I'll be making breakfast so when you're done, you can return and reenergize yourselves." Said Lelouch, waving at them as they went off.

"Ok, we'll come back in an hour or so." Said Uni, leaving the dark haired boy to himself.

He returned to his original goal for the morning and proceeded making breakfast. He was almost done when Noire came to the kitchen.

"Good morning." He greeted the girl.

"Good morning, Lelouch. What are you making?" Asked Noire, feeling hungry.

"Well since Uni and Rolo went off to train, I decided that sandwiches with bacon, tomato and cheese are the ideal choice." He replied, finishing the last sandwich.

The two took their share of the food and sat on the table, enjoying their breakfast.

"You know, I'm still quite confused from the information which you gave me yesterday, when Rolo and I arrived." Lelouch began a conversation.

"Are you talking about Kei?" Noire asked.

"Yes. To think that she would up and leave her position as oracle just because we're in peaceful times. I guess she must've thought that you and Uni are able to do well enough on your own. A strange girl that one is." Lelouch said, taking a bite from his sandwich.

"Well, she was probably right, I mean, everything's going fine the way it is, so I can see from where she comes from in making her decision." Replied Noire, enjoying her food.

"Indeed. Ah, yes, I wanted to inform you that you needn't worry about your documentation for the day. I'll handle it." Lelouch said.

"Thanks, that leaves me with only the quests and a few meetings that I have to attend. Hey, um, after we're done, would you like to, you know, go hang out somewhere?" Asked Noire, blushing in the process.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow in confusion for a second.

"Sure, I don't mind." He agreed, finishing his food.

Noire became really happy after hearing his reply.

"Ok, then it's settled. We'll meet here before we head out!" Said Noire, with a happy tone, as she got up from the table and went to do her work.

"Huh, wonder what got her so hyped up?" Lelouch mused in his thoughts, heading to the office in which the paperwork awaited him.

After a while he decided to take a small break from all the paperwork and went towards one of the balconies to get some fresh air. Noire's request was still on his mind. On his way he caught up with Rolo, who had just come out of the bath.

"Rolo, perfect timing, I wanted to talk to you about something." Lelouch said, gesturing for his sibling to follow him.

"What is it, big brother?" Asked Rolo, as the two now stood on a balcony.

"By the way I expect this day to continue, Neptune and everyone else will be arriving here." Lelouch said, leaning on the railing.

"What do you mean?" Rolo was confused.

"Well, Noire wanted to go out with me after we were done with work and I agreed. I expect the news to travel when she tells Uni where we are going. When all of them gather I'm sure that they'll try to stalk us or something of the sort. Your job is pretty simple. I want you to accompany them and keep them in check." Lelouch said.

"Ok, big brother." Replied Rolo, agreeing to his sibling's proclamation.

"There is the off chance that this whole thing might turn into Noire proclaiming her feelings for me if she has any that is. Otherwise I can't clearly explain to myself why would she want to hang out just like that. I hope that isn't the case, because if it is I depend on you to ensure that you immobilize all of the others who are trailing behind us." Lelouch gave his explanation.

"Alright, I won't fail you, big brother." Rolo smiled, trusting in his brother's decision.

"Thanks, it's really nice to know that there is someone I can always depend on." Smiled Lelouch.

"I'm always ready to help you." Rolo smiled back.

With that Lelouch returned to his work. While he was finishing the paperwork, Noire had returned from her job and headed to the bath. When she was done, she took some time to style her hair and ironed her clothes to make sure that she looked her best.

Lelouch checked his wardrobe, but decided that his usual clothes fitted him best. He fixed the high collar of his black and gold long coat and gave himself one final check in front of the mirror, before he left.

The two met in the lobby.

"Sorry if you were waiting for me." Lelouch apologized.

"I just got here, so there's no need to apologize." Noire replied.

Uni was passing by when she noticed that the two were going somewhere.

"Hey, Noire, where are you two heading to?" Asked Uni, curious to see the two going somewhere.

"We were just going outside for a walk." Replied Lelouch.

"Y-Yeah, that's right, so there's no need to worry. We'll be back before you know it." Replied Noire, somewhat nervously as she bid her sister goodbye and left with Lelouch following after her.

After they left, a smile popped up on Uni's face.

"I've got to tell Nepgear." She said, as she ran off to her room.

In the meantime, Rolo had been observing her and confirmed Lelouch's theory that everyone would probably come.

Soon after, everyone arrived at the Basilicom. Uni and Rolo greeted them, though the girl was somewhat confused.

"Why are all of you here?" She asked.

"Well, Nep Jr. said that she was going to make you company while you were going to spy on Noire and Lelouch, so we all decided that we should accompany you!" Stated Neptune, intrigued to see if the two were on a date or not.

"We're gonna be real stealthy, like secret agents!" Said Ram, cheerfully, thinking this whole thing as a game.

"Uh-huh." Added Rom.

"My, my, I certainly didn't expect for Noire to ask him out." Said Vert.

"Yeah, our Lonely Heart is growing up." Neptune dramatized.

"Let's follow after them." Said Blanc.

Uni turned to Nepgear with a scolding expression.

"Couldn't you have kept it a secret?" she asked with an annoyed tone.

"Well, Neptune was next to me at the time and…" Nepgear smiled nervously, as if trying to apologize for her mistake.

Rolo watched from the side, impressed that his brother's prediction came to be.

"Hey, Rolo, do you want to come as well?" Asked Neptune.

"Oh, um, sure." Replied Rolo, concealing his true purpose.

"Alright! Commence operation tsundere espionage!" Stated Neptune, as everyone left.

Lelouch and Noire were walking around town without a clear goal in mind. The dark haired young man noticed that they were indeed followed.

"Where would you like to go?" He asked his companion.

"How about we go and watch a movie?" Noire suggested.

"Ok, you've got me set." Replied Lelouch.

With that the two went off to the cinema, their stalkers following after them in a hilarious, trying to act unnoticed, fashion. In reality Noire hadn't noticed that they were being followed, unlike Lelouch, who decided to keep that information to himself.

The movie they chose was an action romance. (I just picked the two first genres that came to mind XD) Lelouch wasn't a big fan of movies, but maintained an intrigued expression on his face just to be sure that Noire didn't get the idea that he wasn't enjoying himself. She, on the other hand, was having a blast watching the movie. During one of the scenes she accidentally put her hand over Lelouch's and quickly drew it back with an embarrassed look, as Lelouch was too busy playing his interested act to pay her attention.

When the movie finished the two walked outside.

"That movie was great!" Said Noire happily.

"Yeah, mhm." Lelouch nodded with a slight hint of his none existent care for the film, only to see from the corner of his eye that the idiots that were following them were now in plain sight enjoying some snacks.

"Those imbeciles! They aren't even expending the effort to conceal themselves. I'm glad that I sent Rolo with them." Lelouch thought, as he tugged Noire by the arm.

"Let's go and get something to eat, I'm starving." Lelouch said, as he pulled Noire away to ensure that she wouldn't notice their stalkers.

"W-Wha?! O-Ok, just slow down for a minute." Noire was trying to catch up with his pace, startled from the sudden motion.

Neptune and the others noticed that they came out of the building and resumed their chase.

"You think they kissed inside?" Asked Blanc.

"Nah, Noire doesn't have the guts for that, plus Lulu has proven how displeased he is when a girl puts the move on him, so I think right now she is trying to win him over!" Neptune speculated.

"That's a very baseless deduction." Rolo remarked.

"It's my instinct as a woman speaking. I don't need proof to know about this type of stuff!" Replied Neptune with a goofy smile and a thumbs up.

Lelouch and Noire went to a restaurant. The group following them decided to wait things out, because the two had sat near a glass wall where they could be seen.

"I feel like having some steak, what about you?" Lelouch asked.

"I don't really have anything I'd like to eat at the moment, so I'll order the same as you." Blushed Noire.

They gave their orders to the waiter, who brought them glasses of water to drink while they waited for their meals. (Guys, you'd be surprised to know that this is actually a high standard in the food industry, but not many facilities pay attention to it, except for the really fancy ones, which are too expensive XD)

While they waited Lelouch decided to start a conversation, noticing that Noire was looking a little embarrassed.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a smile, knowing that the girl would be too proud to admit that she is embarrassed.

"Y-Yeah, I'm great!" She stuttered.

"Honestly, you and are the only one around who I don't have to play the disciplinary committee. It's very reassuring to have dependable people like you." Lelouch said with a light hearted tone.

Noire blushed at his comment.

"I-It's not like I'm happy that you complimented me or anything! If you were having any ideas, then you are wrong!" She replied in her usual tsundere fashion.

Lelouch only smiled at the girl.

"Well, I expected such a reaction from her. Were it any of the others they would've immediately went off raising their ego, especially Neptune. She is very timid. I hope that things won't have to come down to me taking the necessary actions." Lelouch thought.

Their food arrived and they started eating it.

"This is very delicious!" Said Noire, savoring the taste of the meat.

"Haven't you eaten here before? It's relatively close to the Basilicom, so I thought that you've at least come here a few times." Lelouch raised his eyebrow, curiosity filling him.

"W-Well, I've never had anyone to go with, so…" Noire's speech started to become inaudible, with her blushing and frantically trying to not meet Lelouch's gaze.

"I see, then by all means, please try to enjoy yourself while we are here." Lelouch said with a smile.

Through the glass wall of the restaurant, Neptune and co were assessing the situation.

"Oh my, her gaze is darting around, desperately avoiding his." Said Vert.

"You think she is having self-doubts?" Asked Neptune.

"Hey, Noire always goes through with something if she starts it!" Uni defended her sister's honor.

"We'll see if she can hold up to the pressure." Blanc replied.

"Come on, this whole running after them is boring! They haven't even held hands yet!" Complained Ram, whose impatience started to rise.

Rom and Nepgear didn't add anything to the conversation, because they were too busy observing the two's actions in the restaurant, in hopes to not miss something.

Rolo, however, was observing his companions. He was to make sure that if things went as Lelouch had predicted, he would act accordingly and fulfill his brother's request.

After a while Lelouch and Noire left the restaurant and continued their walk. Noire was having an inner conflict between her shyness and pride over the matter of holding his hand, but she didn't really show it on her face, as the two continued walking. Neptune and co followed after them remaining somewhat out of plain view.

Lelouch was thinking of what he had to work with.

"If it comes down to it, Rolo can give me a 9 second gap for me to sort things out. As long as he manages to hold the rest down everything will go smoothly." Lelouch thought.

The two walked over to a park where there weren't much people. The others had hidden behind some of the trees to remain out of sight, but Lelouch knew exactly where they were.

"Come on, Noire, you can do this! Get a hold of yourself!" Noire tried to come to terms with herself in her thoughts.

Noire and Lelouch stopped next to a lake. Suddenly, she turned towards him with a really embarrassed expression. Lelouch was confused for a moment until she began to speak.

"Um, Lelouch, the truth is, um, …" Noire was having trouble speaking her mind and was looking at the ground.

Lelouch glanced at Rolo with the corner of his eye, and the young boy took the signal.

"Big brother wants me to paralyze them now." Rolo thought.

"Timewinder." He whispered and the girls around him were out of synch with time and stood like statues.

Rolo then remembered his conversation with Lelouch while they were on a train to Lastation.

*Flashback*

The two were sitting in their cabin, when Lelouch started a conversation.

"Rolo there is something I want you to know, but I need you to promise to not tell anyone, not even Histoire." Lelouch said with a serious expression.

"Of course, big brother!" Rolo replied, noticing that his elder sibling was trusting him with important information.

"The truth is that I've been training to better control my powers. I'm referring to the power that I have as Zero. Though so far I've not been able to achieve control without his voice popping up in my head." Lelouch began.

Rolo listened very carefully, for his brother had told him his origins in somewhat detail and Rolo knew about his alter ego.

"The only thing that I've noticed is that I can now use my Geass in my human form, though it is limited by the fact that if I were to fight someone stronger, for who I had to be in HDD, this weaker version of my Geass won't work. I can use it normal people just fine, it works the same as always." Lelouch said, his two eyes flaring up with the power to demonstrate to the younger boy.

"I haven't used it on anybody, yet, but I wanted you to know about this. It'll be our little secret." Lelouch smiled, his eyes returning back to normal.

"I won't fail your trust, big brother! The fact that you are trusting me with this important information makes me very happy." Rolo smiled back.

"Thank you, Rolo. I'm glad that there is someone with who I can share all of this without having to use my power to ensure they keep quiet." Lelouch said happily.

"I don't want it to come across like I'm not trusting you, but are you sure that trying use that power is a good idea?" Asked Rolo.

"Yes, if I can learn how to control it, then I won't have to fear of repeating that accident ever again. The mere thought of me lashing out in that form against all of you frightens me. I don't want to lose anyone ever again." Lelouch said with a sad tone.

"Big brother, I promise I will never doubt your decisions and you can always count on me!" Rolo said cheerfully, glad that his brother was sharing all this information with him.

Lelouch smiled at the boy and the two moved their conversation on to other stuff.

*End of Flashback*

Lelouch knew that now he had 9 seconds to finish things on his end. He turned to Noire.

"The truth is I, ... I, ... I like you!" She said full of embarrassment.

Lelouch smiled at the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you, I'm really happy that you think so highly of me. But the way I am now, I can't get you involved until I'm sure that I can protect you from myself. My request to you is this. Could you wait confessing, until the time when I no longer have the need to worry about being a threat to you?" Lelouch's Geass activated and entranced Noire.

"Ok." Replied Noire, his order taking effect.

"Good." Lelouch smiled and deactivated his Geass, Noire returned to normal and his 9 seconds were out so their stalkers were now able to percept their surroundings again.

Noire was confused and blushed.

"Wait, maybe now's not the best time to tell him how I feel? Maybe i should wait for him to open up of his own volition?" She was confused in her thoughts, the Geass having influenced her.

"Um, anyway, how about we head home for the day?" She asked a bit embarrassed.

In their hiding spot, everyone was disappointed by this turn of events.

"Sure, but first I think that we should have a word with our stalkers." Lelouch said, turning to where the others were hiding "I know you are there, Neptune and company."

From the trees came the surprised voices of the girls.

"What?! How did you know that we were following you?" Neptune was shocked, as she and the rest came out of hiding.

Rolo, however, had used his ability to get away from there.

"If that is your choice, then I will not question it, big brother." Rolo thought about what his brother had said before he used his Geass on Noire, as he headed back to the Basilicom.

Back to the others, things began to get a little frantic.

"Wh-What?! What are all of you doing here?!" Noire screamed in embarrassment.

"They've been following us for a while now. I noticed them after we got out of the restaurant." Lelouch lied.

"Hey, where's Rolo?" Asked Nepgear, confused at the boy's disappearance.

"That kid ditched us?! He's just like Lelouch, deserting his company just when it's about to get to the best part, right Noire?" Neptune said, giving the tsundere an expecting gaze.

"Well, her failed attempt to get him for herself only means that there's room for others to try." Vert smiled playfully.

"I hate all of you! You just had to ruin everything!" Noire yelled with tears in her eyes and ran off back to the Basilicom, leaving the rest feeling bad about going through with this.

"I suggest you apologize to her. Though that said, I'm glad that all of you came, it feels nice when one's assessment of the situation turns out right." Lelouch said, feeling content with how everything had turned out according to his plan. (Cold bastard, ignoring how Noire felt when she realized that she was being watched)

His statement only confused the girls more, as they were trying to think of a proper way to apologize to Noire on their way back.

After they arrived at the Basilicom, Lelouch went over to his room and the others apologized to Noire, who thankfully managed to find it in her to forgive them.

Rolo entered his brother's room and noticed that he had taken off his coat and shirt and laid on his bed topless.

"Ah, Rolo, I was about to go and thank you for the job well done. I wouldn't have been able to handle that situation without you." Lelouch smiled at his younger sibling.

"Like I said, you can always count on me, big brother!" Rolo smiled back.

"Well then, I'll be off now. You can always rely on me if you need anything." Said Rolo, as he left the room.

Lelouch returned to his thoughts, which Rolo's entrance had interrupted.

"That was a very hard call to make, but I think it was for the best." Lelouch thought about how he defied Noire's free will.

An image of Celina and all the time they had spent together appeared in his mind appeared in his mind, reminding him of the love that he once had and making him feel regret.

"I guess I'm not as resolved as I thought I was. Will I be able to move on? Celina, what would you think if you were here?" Lelouch thought about his loved one, a sad expression befalling him, as he contemplated on what he had done.

"I am not deserving of her love. What I did was the best for her. She'll be fine without me in her life." He convinced himself that messing with Noire's will was somewhat of a selfless righteous act, when in reality he just covered up his hesitations and insecurities.

* * *

 **Done! I don't know why, but i feel like a complete asshole for doing this to Noire. Just as their relationship was progressing i used the infamous "It's not you, it's me." and wrote Lelouch to use his Geass on her. Well my jokes aside, i really believe that I stuck to Lelouch's character well, because that was my number one concern while writing this. I put in the parts where Rolo played a part in Lelouch's plan, because i thought that i wanted to deepen the two's trust. Well anyway, hope you don't want to lynch me for putting the stop on this ship, just as it was about to sail XD. This only makes room for the other girls to try and seduce Lulu guys/ girls, so keep that in mind. Like i said, next chapter will be the start of V's storyline so look forward to that, for i have quite the few things in mind for that story :D. Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	31. Let's begin once more

**Ok, here we go guys! Into Rebirth3 we go! I'm so glad that i got to this point and am really grateful for all of your support and the fact that you are enjoying my story :). Without further ado, onwards with the story!**

Chapter 31: Let's begin once more

A few years had passed after the destruction of the Deity of Sin. Gamindustri enjoys a time of peace. Meanwhile the CPUs seem to be hard at work, well at least a certain pair of brothers is.

Lelouch and Rolo had done some quests and were now on their way to the Basilicom.

"Why did we get stuck doing the physical labor? Those four need to get off their lazy butts!" Lelouch complained.

Rolo couldn't add anything to his statement so he just smiled nervously.

"I'm going to give them a piece of my mind when we get back!" Lelouch continued to complain.

"Big brother, did you know that the more one complains the less energy he has left to solve a problem?" Rolo said.

"A valid point. Forgive me for running my mouth like that." Lelouch realized that he was acting stubbornly and quickly sought to put it under the rug.

"It's fine, oh, we're here." Smiled Rolo, as he noticed that they had reached the Basilicom already.

The two entered the building. Rolo went to take a bath while Lelouch was intent on keeping his word earlier. He entered the living room, where the girls were playing a video game and Nepgear had brought them snacks.

"Round Two! Fight!" Neptune exclaimed.

The game seemed to crash.

"Huh?" Neptune was dumbfounded.

"The battle is not initiating. What is this buggy screen?" Vert was confused.

"Neptune, did you break the game?" Asked Blanc.

"I did no such thing! I just selected my character and pressed START like always!" Neptune defended herself.

"Then it's a freeze bug, no? I have this game myself, and it has never done anything like this." Noire said.

"AHEM!" Lelouch got irritated from being ignored.

The four turned around to look at him and noticed his very displeased expression.

"Oh great, here comes the complaints service." Neptune sighed.

"First of all, watch your mouth, and second, why are all of you sitting here playing games, when you have work to do, work which I'm stuck doing?!" Lelouch raised his voice.

"You don't need to yell, sheesh." Replied Noire.

"To think that you of all people would be bothered by our little harmless activity." Added Blanc.

"What is there for you to complain about? I thought you could handle being a CPU flawlessly." Said Vert, putting out there the fact that he was interrupting something important.

"Now, if you don't have anything else to yell about, you can leave us to deal with this crisis." Said Neptune, still worried for her crashed console.

Lelouch grew tired of their attitude and went over to open the door to the balcony, gaining a curious look from Nepgear. While the four were trying to think of a way to fix their game he walked over to the console and picked it up, unplugging it from the power source in the process.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Asked Neptune, considering the fact that he might have broken it even further.

He gave them an angry look and headed towards the balcony.

"No, he's not going to, is he?" Noire was shocked.

"Wait! Lelouch, buddy, please, don't do it!" Neptune begged.

Lelouch ignored them and threw the console as far and high as he could.

"And there it goes." Said Blanc.

"NOOOO!" Neptune felt heartbroken, as she went over to see her console disappear from sight.

"There, I dealt with your stupid problem. I hope you've learned your lesson, because next time I might throw you out." Lelouch grinned, enjoying the girl's suffering over the loss of her prized possession, and sat on a couch.

"You're the worst of the worst, you know that right?" Vert gave him a glare.

Noire and Blanc went over to comfort Neptune.

"Hmph." Lelouch wasn't interested in their comments.

After a few minutes Neptune managed to regain her composure and turned to Lelouch with fire in her eyes.

"I challenge you, you game destroying fiend, to a duel!" Neptune proclaimed, intent to avenge her console.

Lelouch chuckled.

"What's so funny, huh?" Neptune didn't take kindly to his reaction.

"The fact that you are willing to fight over something so pointless." Lelouch replied with a smirk. "However, I accept your challenge."

Before Lelouch could completely destroy Neptune and whatever pride she had left, Histoire arrived on the scene with Rolo behind her.

"Pardon me, everyone." Histoire said, gaining everyone's attention.

"Histy, you're just on time for how I put Lulu in his place." Neptune said, still feeling like justice should be served.

"*Sigh* First of all, it is impossible for you to take him down by yourself, also consider the fact that you've been lazing around all day, while he has been working and training. Second, what caused this commotion?" Histoire gave out a detailed analysis of how stupid it was of Neptune to challenge the male CPU and asked her question.

"Well, Lelouch threw out Neptune's console." Nepgear said with a nervous smile, causing Rolo to do the same, as he looked at the girls who were eyeing his brother with hatred.

"He needs to face justice for his crime of throwing out the one not boring thing in this Basilicom!" Neptune said, causing Histoire to get really annoyed that Neptune hadn't listened to her and from the fact that they were fighting over something like this.

Lelouch along with Rolo and Nepgear noticed that Histoire was about to blow her fuse and backed away.

"All of you… The time has come to knock it off!" Yelled the oracle, a vein was starting to show on her forehead, causing the four girls to get startled.

"Whoa! Why the badditude, Histy!?" Neptune was taken aback by the yelling of the girl.

"Heavens, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest…" Said Vert.

"Silence! I must raise my voice! Day after day, the four of you meet up only to play games. You are CPUs!" Continued to yell Histoire. "I've noticed that Lelouch, who is currently the only one helping me with work, had been trying to get you back on track but you ignore him! Is that how you, as the current CPUs, should act?! NO, it is not!"

"I will not allow all of you to spend your lives relying on others to do your jobs, while you play and lollygag all day!" Histoire stopped to catch her breath.

"Huh? Histy… are you… angry? Like, for realsies?" Neptune asked nervously.

"N-now now, Histoire. Please calm down" Nepgear tried to calm down the oracle, but failed.

"I will do no such thing! Nepgear, you are at fault as well!" Histoire continued to yell. "You spoil them so much that they do not work! Do you see Rolo doing something like that, no! He helps his brother with his work!"

"I… I'm so sorry." Nepgear said sheepishly looking at the ground.

Lelouch, on the side, was enjoying the whole situation, savoring their agonized expressions as Histoire continued to scold them. Rolo was somewhat nervous from everything, but didn't let it get to him.

"Hmph. It is painfully clear that Neptune is a lost cause, but you are smart and serious, so why…?" Histoire continued.

"Well, um, since everyone had it rough in the last few battles, so I thought it'd be really nice…" Nepgear said with a nervous smile.

"Darn tootin'! I mean, even CPUs need to take staycation for a bit. Working us any harder has gotta be against some kinda goddess labor law standards thing." Neptune tried to argue their case, which only further angered Histoire.

"How many years do you think have passed since that battle, ignoring the fact that none of you even fought against the Deity of Sin at full power?! The only one deserving of a break is Lelouch!" Histoire yelled as she turned towards the young man, who was startled for a bit, but didn't show it.

"Lelouch, I forbid you and Rolo from doing any CPU work without my consent from here on!" Histoire ordered, gaining the nervous nods of the two boys.

She turned back to Neptune and Nepgear.

"And as for you two, sit down right now!" She ordered. "Today is the day I will pound into your thick skulls exactly what it means to be a CPU!"

"Whaa?! Raincheck, please! And why just us? What about them?!" Neptune was shocked.

"Pardon us, Neptune. I believe we shall be taking our leave now." Said Vert with a smile.

"You better not give Histoire any more trouble, you hear me?" Smirked Noire.

"The wisest one is she who avoids danger." Said Blanc and the three left.

"Aw, man! They're quicker to run away than I run toward the fridge! So lame… Don't abandon me!" Neptune complained.

"Silence! Your task now is to listen intently to my lecture. The primary duty of any CPU is…" Histoire began her lecture.

The lecture continued for quite a while, as Lelouch and Rolo had managed to play a game of chess, which resulted in Rolo's loss of course.

"… is how all CPUs should be. Let us end today's lesson here." Histoire said, seeming to calm down a bit.

"She- She's finally done." Whispered Nepgear.

"Geh. My legs are sawing tingly logs. Can anyone spare me some pain relief medicine?" Asked Neptune, her legs feeling sour.

"W-Wait, Neptune! I can't seem to stand up, either…" Nepgear's legs were in the same condition.

"And just how long do you two intend to crawl around on the floor like infants?" Asked Histoire.

"Histy, you talk more than a phone. Lokkit, my cute thighs are quivering like jelly or whatever…" Neptune whined.

Lelouch chuckled at her statement.

"Not like you used them for anything." He remarked with a grin on his face.

"Did you learn nothing from my lecture about how a CPU ought to behave and speak?" Asked Histoire.

"Y-Yes…" Lied Nepgear, because in truth neither of them had listened to her.

"Then I assume you have both taken a hard look at yourselves and now understand its importance, yes?" Said Histoire.

"Uhh, if a CPU has to be honest, I gotta admit that less than half even entered my ear hole." Neptune said with a dumb smile.

"Shhh! Neptune, don't admit to that!" Nepgear tried to correct her.

"If you understand, then… Get out there and do your jobs this instant, ladies! I don't care if Lelouch and Rolo have already completed the assignments for the day, you will work double what they have done for the day!" Histoire yelled the two girls off to work.

"Yiiikess!" The two girls ran of outside.

Histoire sighed after they left.

"Those girls are going to make me crazy." She said, as she sat down next to the two boys.

"I'll go get you something to drink." Rolo said, as he went to the kitchen.

"Thank you." Replied Histoire.

"Sorry for making you yell at them. I could make them work with my Geass, but I know that isn't the right thing to do." Lelouch said.

"It's not your fault, I know you are just trying to help, but they don't want to listen to reason." Histoire sighed.

"If you want, I can 'persuade' them to work." He suggested.

"No, there's no need for you to play the villain to the girls. I'll just have to handle this somehow." Replied Histoire.

Rolo returned with drinks for the three of them and placed them on the table.

"Thank you, Rolo. I always feel relieved when the two of you are staying here." Said Histoire, as she took up her glass of juice and drank it.

"Well, since there's nothing else to do, would you care for a game?" Lelouch asked Histoire, preparing the chess board.

"Sure, it's been a while since we played together." Smiled Histoire.

The game lasted for a few hours, but it still ended in Lelouch's victory.

"It is really amazing how good you are at this game." Smiled Histoire.

"You're not bad yourself. You are probably the toughest opponent I've ever faced." Lelouch smiled back.

"Well, anyway, I'll be making dinner, so if you need me for something, you know where to find me." Lelouch said, as he walked off to the kitchen.

"*Sigh* If only Neptune and Nepgear were as dependable as you two." Histoire spoke to Rolo.

"Speaking of them, shouldn't they have come back by now?" Said Rolo.

That moment they received guests.

"Hey, how's it going?" Greeted IF.

"Hello." Said Compa, with her usual happy demeanor.

"Oh, hello you two, I was expecting Neptune and Nepgear, but it is nice to see you as well." Replied Histoire.

"H-Hello." Rolo replied nervously.

"Hi Rolo, hmm? Where're Lu-Lu, Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge?" Asked Compa, noticing their absence.

"Lelouch is in the kitchen preparing dinner, as for Neptune and Nepgear, I sent them out to do their work." Histoire replied.

The two girls returned after a while.

"We're back!" Said Neptune.

"We're home." Added Nepgear.

"Hello, Nep-Nep, Ge-Ge!" Greeted them Compa.

"Heh, so it was true that you actually did your work. Maybe it will rain milk tomorrow." IF greeted them.

"Hello, IF. I didn't know that you and Compa would already be back." Said Nepgear.

"It's rare for you two to get back from work before us." Proclaimed Neptune.

"It's not that its rare. You two are always holed up being lazy all day." Replied IF. "Compa and I have careers to go to everyday, unlike you two."

"Ouch. Your words sting like a cactus." Said Neptune.

"We'll be having dinner soon, so you should go and wash your hands." Said Compa.

"Alright!" Neptune exclaimed happily.

The girls went to wash their hands, after which joined Rolo, Lelouch and Histoire at the dinner table.

"Don't worry, my aching stomach! Lelouch, you may be a sourpuss, but you sure know how to cook!" Neptune said, stuffing her face.

"I don't need your recognition of my skills. I'm aware of how superior I am to you." Lelouch remarked.

"Now now, no fighting at the table, Lu-Lu." Compa scolded him.

"So? How'd it feel to get some work done?" Asked IF.

"We were a little rusty, but we didn't have much trouble." Said Nepgear.

"You did not attempt to visit the other nations in order to slack off, did you?" Asked Histoire, hitting the nail on the head.

"What?! N-N-No! Where's the faith Histy?!" Neptune replied nervously.

"Um, you're making it obvious that you did." Rolo gave his opinion.

"But we did our work properly! We even met the head representative of the Citizens Group!" Said Nepgear, backing up the case.

"Hoh, I'd like to hear more about that topic actually. I heard that they were a group that wanted to abolish the rule of the CPUs." Lelouch said, his curiosity triggered and a slight hint of anger in his tone.

"Oh, them. I've been hearing a little about their more recent activities." Said IF.

"Are they big meanies?" Asked Compa.

"Nah. They aren't a threat. They don't have many members and they don't do illegal stuff." Replied IF. "They just pass out pamphlets and give little speeches on the streets."

"Sounds like wasted effort." Rolo said.

"Yes, the representative didn't seem like she was into it, either." Added Nepgear.

"Whatever! Iffy said its fine, so Histy you're just worrying over nothing again." Said Neptune.

"The mere fact that such a group exists is indeed a problem! This is all due to how you act as a goddess, Neptune! Replied Histoire angrily.

"Yikes! Did I kick the hornet's nest?!" Neptune realized the error of opening her big mouth.

"No lectures on the table! The dinner which Lu-Lu spent his time preparing will get cold!" Compa scolded them.

"Fair enough. Please continue to perform your duties tomorrow, as well." Said Histoire to the Nep siblings.

"What, tomorrow, too?! I mean, I really worked my hardest today, so I figure I'd take a few days off…" Neptune tried to complain.

"Did I ask a question?" Histoire looked at her sternly.

"Roger…" Neptune surrendered.

Meanwhile in an alley somewhere.

"Where am I? Oh, why do bad things always happen to me?" Rei sulked.

"I'm such a screw-up at everything… But it's not like I'm doing anything wrong… or at least I don't think I am." She continued.

"All I'm asking for are proper rules and regulations in a world without CPUs… But nobody wants to join me… Even if people gather around, they ignore what I say…" The middle-aged woman continued.

"Maybe I should just give up… It's an impossible dream… Far too ambitious." Rei was starting to lose faith in her goal. "Someone as pathetic as me trying to defy the CPUs… *Sniff, sniff*"

"Ugh, I finally found you. I got lost for ten whole damn days trying to find you. I can't mock you now…" Came a voice.

"Huh?" Rey turned to see where the voice was coming from.

"You're just as hesitant as she is over there. You both falter at the slightest hiccup." Continued the voice.

"I-Is someone there?" Asked a confused Rei.

"Of course, duh. Otherwise how would I be speaking to you." The voice revealed herself to be a small blond girl in black and purple attire, floating on a book.

"Huh? A small girl is… You're floating in mid-air! AAAAAAHHH!" Rei screamed in terror.

"Ahhh! Don't freakin scream like that! Man, you scared me…" Said the girl, startled by the woman's reaction.

"I'm sorry…. This is strange for me. How can a girl as small as you even exist?" Asked Rei, confused from everything. "I've really lost it. I'm starting to see things that aren't there!"

"I'm not a damn hallucination! Shut up and listen to me!" Yelled the girl.

"Y-Y-Yes! So this is really happening?" Continued Rei. "Um, who are you? Do you have business with me?"

"Duh. Why else would I come out here?" Replied the girl, irritated from Rei's slow uptake. "I'm here because she asked me to be. You better be grateful."

"She? Who?" Asked Rei.

"I'm supposed to give this to you. She's not using it over there and that guy is really annoying about it, so it's all yours. Enjoy!" Said the girl, as she forced a blob of dark energy into Rei's mouth.

"N-No! Don't make me eat it! Stop! Auugh! *munch, munch*" Rei was trying to resist.

"Open up wider! This baby's going down in one gulp!" Said the blond girl, as she continued her efforts in trying to force the energy down Rei's throat.

"Gulp!" Rei finally manage to break free, but swallowed the energy.

"Whew. There ya go, all done. How're you feeling?" asked the blond girl.

Rei fell on the ground.

"Huh? Oh… she passed out. Ugh. Dammit." Groaned the girl, until a realization hit her.

"If I leave now, that might make things super interesting for me. Okay, I'm ditching this broad." The girl took off to somewhere.

After a few hours, Rei woke up.

"Huh? Did I fall asleep? And in a dirty place like this…" Rei was confused.

"Oh, no… Not only did I get lost, but I fell asleep in such a place. How pathetic am I?" Rei started to sulk again, but felt sick.

"Urp! What's wrong with me? I think I have heartburn… I don't feel… very good… I better hurry home… I need to crawl into bed…" Rei ran off to somewhere, not feeling alright.

Back at the Basilicom, Lelouch was in his room and was preparing to go to sleep, when he felt something wrong, as some dark purple aura was emitting from him.

"What's this feeling? Why is my energy disrupting?" Lelouch was confused, as he felt the urge to transform, but resisted it.

He calmed himself down, stopping the aura from emitting. Then a dreadfully familiar voice came.

"I don't know why, but things will start to become interesting from here on. I can feel it, that power. It will be a fine thing to destroy, wouldn't you agree?" Came the malicious voice of Zero inside Lelouch's head.

"Shut up! I don't know what you are talking about, but I have a bad feeling about this. Also, since when did you start voicing your thoughts?!" Lelouch thought, as Zero's voice disappeared.

He managed to calm down and eventually get to sleep, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong in all of this.

The next morning Lelouch came in the middle of an argument between Nepgear and Neptune, something which rarely happens between the two.

"Wait, wait. I have an awesome compromise! How about you work and tell me about it later, Nep Jr.!?" Neptune said, clearly not wanting to go to work.

"As a part of my rehabilitation it is really important for me to slide into some arcades and…" Neptune was cut off.

"NO! Bad Neptune!" Yelled Nepgear.

This caused Neptune to startle. Lelouch too was taken aback by the younger girl's reaction, for he had not expected her to snap like that.

"Whoa! W-What's going on? Are you getting angry at me, too?" Asked Neptune nervously.

"At this rate, you're going to be a big, fat failure of a CPU! I must be more strict with you!" Nepgear said.

"Isn't she already?" Lelouch thought to himself.

"Huh? Time out! If you ride me the way Histy does, I dunno if I can surviv-" Neptune was cut off again.

"LA LA LA LA! I can't hear you! Go and work by yourself today! I'm staying here!" Yelled Nepgear, covering her ears with her hands.

"N-No, I'm trying to say…" Neptune couldn't finish.

"LA LA LA LA LA!" Nepgear continued to yell.

"I think that you better get going, it's not like she's going to stop doing that any time soon." Suggested Lelouch.

"*Sigh* Nep Jr. gets stubborn about the weirdest things, and lets her imagination run wild." Said Neptune. "I get the message. I'll go work by myself."

"LA LA LA LA!" Nepgear continued.

"Yeah, gotcha, you can't hear me. Okay, bye!" Neptune left.

"LA LA LA!" Nepgear just wouldn't stop.

That irritated Lelouch, who grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Nepgear, if you scream one more time, I'm afraid there will be serious consequences." He said.

"Oh, sorry Lelouch. I just had to make Neptune go to work somehow." Apologized Nepgear.

"Don't fret over it. Now then, off to training with you and Rolo." Lelouch said, gesturing for Nepgear to get ready.

"Ok!" Nepgear said.

Neither of them knew, however, that that would be the last day they saw Neptune for a while.

* * *

 **Ok, so there's something i want to clear before i leave this be. I've come to the conclusion that i'm going to write on Lelouch's point of view and won't turn it over to events in the other dimension, unless i have him cross over, so there won't be anything like "Our protagonist is doing that, and meanwhile somewhere else another character does something else." unless it is essential for the story like in this chapter, when i moved it over to Rei's point of view. I think that was the right decision, because otherwise the story would progress painfully slowly, and that's something that i want to evade. If any of you have any tips to solving this issue or think of another alternative to my decision, then by all means please share them with me. Anyway, Rei received the power of her other self. What is it that intrigued Zero and worried Lelouch, you may ask yourselves. We'll find that later on in the story :D! Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	32. Neptune's absence

**Ok, i'll admit this was harder than i thought it would be, writing on these events that are happening everywhere with a different time period is really making me confused. I hope that it turned out ok and that it makes some ground on things that i hinted at in the earlier chapters. Anyway, please enjoy.**

Chapter 32: Neptune's absence

Nepgear's beam saber and Rolo's knife were parried by Lelouch's beam blade. The two Candidates were trying to land a hit on him, but weren't able to, as the dark haired boy was too fast for them. They soon began to slow down their pace, the exhaustion catching up to them.

"Ok, I think that's enough for today. Good work you two." Lelouch ended the training session.

The younger CPUs collapsed on the ground.

"*Pant, pant* This was… very… hard." Nepgear was trying to catch her breath.

"As expected… of you, big brother… you didn't tire at all." Rolo said, being slightly better than Nepgear.

"Nepgear, your lazing around with the others has put you out of shape, but that's nothing that can't be fixed. Rolo, you are progressing with your ability. I'm amazed that you are able to hold 11 seconds now, but there's still room for improvement." Lelouch said.

"Right!" The two replied.

"Go and take a bath, after that you are free for the day. Neptune, on the other hand, will be spending the rest of the day here, when she comes back." Lelouch said, a grin appearing on his face, because he would get to enjoy beating up Neptune somewhat.

The two candidates did as they were told and went to the shower.

Lelouch walked over to Histoire's office and knocked on the door.

"Yes, enter." Replied Histoire.

Lelouch came in the room.

"Hello Lelouch, is there something that I can help you with?" Asked Histoire.

"Yes, I wanted to tell you that I'll do some of Neptune's paperwork to lessen her workload somewhat, because I want her to go training after she returns." Lelouch stated.

"Sure, I will allow that." Replied Histoire.

"Also, I wanted to ask you something." Added the boy.

"Yes?" The oracle allowed him to proceed.

"Was the ban which you placed on me and Rolo to not work a serious statement, or did you just say it because you needed to tell off Neptune?" Asked the male CPU.

"Well, it depends. I'm more than glad to have you work as a CPU, but that doesn't mean that you should do others' work for them. Of course, if you ever need a break or want just want to take some time off, you can rest assured that I will not force you to do anything. You've more than earned it after all." Histoire explained.

"Thanks, it was good to get that out of the way. Well then, I'm off." Lelouch bid Histoire goodbye, as he headed towards Neptune's office.

There he spent the next few hours doing paperwork. Despite his original statement, he actually completed all of it.

"When that slacker gets back, I'll get to enjoy beating her into shape and she won't have any excuses." Lelouch smiled, as he thought about his upcoming activities.

He felt somewhat strange. Despite the fact that Neptune always annoyed him, he still found the girl's company enjoyable.

"Hmph, maybe I'll go and buy her a new console as a reward for her efforts?" Lelouch mused in his thoughts.

Soon after he was done with all the paperwork and went to take a shower.

"Hmm, maybe I should apologize for acting so strict with everybody? I've been really uptight lately." Lelouch thought as the water from the shower was dripping from his hair.

He then thought about last night. Hearing Zero's voice again and what he said, those were all things that put him on edge.

After he was done with the bath, he went over to dry himself and change into his clothes. His black and gold attire was drying from being in the washing machine, so he put on a grey shirt and the black leather jacket which he had first bought after waking up in Planeptune back when he didn't have his memory. He put on a pair of jeans and black boots and was set to go.

He was heading to Histoire to tell her that he would be out for a while and afterwards he was going to get Rolo to go with him on a gambling match. On his way he met up with a very worried Nepgear.

"What's wrong Nepgear? Why are you going in circles with that face?" Asked Lelouch.

"It's Neptune, she should've been back by now. Oh, I can't stop worrying about her, what if something's happened to her while she was out. I should've went with her." Neprgear was concerned for her sister.

"Don't worry about, I'm sure she's fine. It's Neptune we are talking about after all." Lelouch calmed down the girl.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but still I want to go and talk with Histoire about it." Said Nepgear.

With that the two went over to her office, only to find the oracle communicating through a screen with a familiar face.

"Yes. There is no mistaking you Neptune. To think that you had been sent to another dimension…" Said Histoire, which immediately caught the attention of the two who entered her office.

"You think YOU'RE surpised?! You know how I can get back, right?" Asked Neptune through the screen.

"Well, about that…" Histoire was cut off.

"Neptune?! Is that you, Neptune?!" Nepgear was worried sick.

"Nepgear, I want you to allow me and Histoire to deal with this. Please wait outside, I promise that I will tell you everything when we're done." Said Lelouch, as the young girl looked at him with tears starting to form in her eyes and did as she was told.

When she left, he stepped in front of the screen.

"Neptune, I don't know if I should be amazed at how you managed such a feat as dimension travel, or to be preparing your execution when you get back. If you don't want my choice to sway towards the latter, you will get back here this instant!" Lelouch raised his voice, feeling very irritated from this turn of events.

"Stop yelling over the screen, Lulu! I've been stuck here for a few months now. We managed to call, in order to find a way for me to get back." Neptune replied.

"A few months? It's only been about half a day since you left?!" Lelouch replied noticing that there was a difference in the time laps. (I checked with the wiki and it says that the two dimensions have a day for a year gap. I think that I will red con it later on, but for now I'll keep it.)

"Hey, Neppy who's that boy?" Came a voice from the other side.

"Hmhmhm, that my dear Plutie, is my boyfriend, Lelouch!" Lied Neptune.

"Do you want me to kill you! Don't make things up about me, especially stuff about being your boyfriend!" Lelouch yelled, enraged that Neptune was making fun of him even now.

"I get it already, sheesh. Biggest killjoy ever." Replied Neptune.

"That aside, let us discuss the matter at hand. Getting you home." Said Hyper Histoire. (Yeah, I'll be calling them with their dimensions when there's a conversation like this. It's easier to keep track that way.)

"Oh, yeah. How do we do that?" Asked Neptune.

"Well… I am uncertain at this time." Replied Histoire.

"What?! Please tell me that you are kidding." Neptune was shocked.

"T-There's nothing to be done. I just learned that you were in a different dimension." Said Histoire. "I will research and then contact you once I find a solution. Farewell."

Histoire ended the call.

"What now?! Planeptune is without a CPU! This is a terrible emergency! I need to start looking into dimensional travel at once!" Histoire panicked.

"Yes you concentrate on that task. I will deal with informing everyone and handling the situation." Replied Lelouch.

"Thank you, Lelouch. I don't know what I would've done without you. This task will occupy me for the next three days, so I hope that everything will be fine until then." Said Histoire, as she started searching through her data banks.

Lelouch left the office, leaving the oracle to do her thing. Outside waited for him a worried Nepgear and a confused Rolo.

"Big brother, what's happened?" Asked Rolo.

"Is Neptune alright?" Asked Nepgear.

"I will explain everything, but first I want you to gather everyone here. That way everyone will know of the situation." Said Lelouch

The two did as they were told and Lelouch went to change into his CPU attire. After putting on the black and gold clothing set, he went over to the meeting room of the Basilicom, where everyone had gathered, waiting for him.

"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice." He said, as he sat down on the large meeting table alongside the others.

"What's wrong? We understood that something happened to Neptune." Said Vert.

"Yes, allow me to explain." Lelouch gained everyone's attention.

"Neptune is in another dimension, currently. I do not know of how she got there or if someone sent her there, but I do know that for the next couple of days Planeptune will be without it's CPU. Histoire needs time in order to find a way to bring Neptune back. And yes, the idiot is alright, there's no need for any of you to worry about her." Lelouch explained the situation to them.

"Thank goodness." Nepgear was relieved to hear that her sister was ok.

"Then, how will we handle her absence?" Asked Blanc.

"If someone doesn't fill in for her, things will start to get really bad." Added Vert.

"Yeah, what's going to happen now?" Asked Uni.

"I've thought this through, and seeing as we don't have any other options, I will be taking executive command over Planeptune." Lelouch said.

"You mean that you will become Planeptune's CPU!?" Noire was surprised.

"No, I'll be handling everything behind the scenes, while Nepgear remains the face of the whole operation. With Neptune gone, she is the best I have to work with, in order to ensure that the people don't find out that their CPU is missing." Lelouch lay out his plan.

"That sounds like a plan." Said Vert agreeing with Lelouch.

"If you need our help for something, call us, ok?" Said Noire.

"Ok, with this, this meeting is now over. Everyone can return back to their workplace. Once again I'm sorry for the inconvenience that has been caused by that purple haired idiot." Lelouch said.

"You don't need to apologize, she's our idiot after all." Replied Blanc, gaining smiles from everyone in the room.

With that everyone bid farewell to each other and left. Lelouch was left with Nepgear and Rolo, as he gave the two tasks to complete.

"Nepgear, I want you to go about your usual work routine. That way people won't suspect that something's up. Rolo, you will inform IF about everything and tell her that I want every information which she comes across to go through me." Lelouch gave out his orders.

"Understood." Replied the two, as they left to do their jobs.

Lelouch leaned back on his chair for a moment to think things through.

"So, I'll be managing a nation once more, huh? I never thought that this will happen, but it is fine, I guess." Lelouch thought.

"What really concerns me is how Neptune got in another dimension. That girl doesn't possess such abilities, so the only option left is for someone to have sent her there, but who?" He continued to think on the abnormality of the situation.

"That is not my main concern right now! I have a job to do!" Lelouch scolded himself and went off to work.

Meanwhile in Ultradimension at a secret base.

"Um, what are we going to do about the increasing number of CPUs?" Asked Rei, nervously.

"Isn't it your job, as the head of this organization to think about things like that?" Growled Arfoire.

"Yeah, I'm sick and tired of your lack of self-confidence!" Yelled Copy-Paste.

"Eek! I'm sorry!" Apologized Rei.

"Well, let's stop teasing Rei for now and allow me to tell you how we will deal with the CPUs." Said Annonnydeath.

"Yes, let us proceed according to business." Added Mr. Badd.

"You do realize that it has to be something, which won't get that stuck up guy to hunt us down?" Abnes didn't really like her colleague's scheming.

"Oh, Abby, you'd doubt me? Of course, I've taken everything into account." Replied the pink and purple robot.

"You do realize that we've been allowed to work under regulations, right? If we were to break the word which I gave, I don't know what will happen to us." Said Rei.

"Don't worry my sweet little Rei, I've taken the time to come up with a plan that will avoid interference from him. Besides, I doubt that death is really a consequence at this point." Reassured her Annonnydeath.

"Perfect, I can't stand that guy, but his power is terrifying and awesome." Yelled Copy-Paste.

"Do you always have to shout, you giant imbecile!" Arfoire was displeased with the giant robot's personality.

"Anyway, this will surely eliminate our CPU problem, for a while at least. Putting the CPUs against each other is a fool proof plan, that also helps us in the ruin of Lowee." Said Annonydeath.

(They're talking about the plan to send Copy-Paste and Pirachu to Lastation to destroy that random factory, where they make it seem like Blanc had something to do with it, so it's early in the Ultradimension story.)

Back in Hyperdimension.

Lelouch had finished with everything for the day and lay on his bed. He was trying to concentrate to get to speak with Zero.

"Hey, I know you are there. I have a deal for you." He thought.

Surprisingly, the voice answered.

"This is new. You don't usually talk to yourself like this." Laughed Zero.

"Would you like to hear it or not?" Lelouch replied.

"But of course, though you and I share one mind, so I already know what it is." Zero replied.

"Then I'll get to the point, do you promise to not harm everyone, as long as, I allow you to fight whoever or whatever it is that you mentioned last night?" Asked Lelouch.

"Heheh- Hahaha! What a funny thing bargaining is, and with one's self too! Sure, I would not harm something close to 'me', … much." Zero replied.

"I'm serious, I don't want to hear your sick jokes." Said Lelouch not liking how his alter persona was behaving.

The voice was quiet for a moment then spoke again.

"Don't you find it strange that you and I are the only ones communicating like this, why we are conflicting with each other, when in reality we are the same person? You know why? Because you don't want to acknowledge your power, you are afraid of it. Because of your weakness both of us are stuck like this in a stalemate." Zero said.

"Of course I am. I clearly remember what happened last time when I lost control." Replied bitterly Lelouch.

"This self-denial will come to bite us someday, and I don't mean us as you and me, I mean the people that you care about. Our beloved Celina was so nice to leave us with this power that sadly prevents us from joining her." Said Zero.

"Don't speak about Celina!" Lelouch growled.

"You and I are the same, you weakling! I loved her just as much as you did! If I were there and not you at the time, I would've been able to save her!" Zero snapped back, causing Lelouch to falter.

"How, by destroying the rest of the world and leaving her and Histoire to make you company in a wasteland!" Lelouch said.

"You should realize something. I don't care about this world, and neither do you. The moment Celina died, both of us started to see this world as a hell. Right now, you managed to find a light in those girls, to help guide you through this dark hell, but for how long will it last? How long until you lose control once more, fool! Last time when you did, I had to step in!" Zero growled.

"I won't allow it, not again!" Lelouch said.

"And what about that kid, Rolo? You couldn't protect just one person before. What makes you think that you can protect all of these people?" Asked Zero.

"You already know my answer. No matter how many times I have to suffer, how many times I die, I will not allow any of them to die!" Lelouch replied.

"Oh well, …. I guess there's no need to force you to see things my way, you'll eventually come to understand… or you'll just be angered to the point where I can easily step in… As for your deal earlier, I think I shall agree to it." Zero said and fell silent.

Lelouch could feel that if he could see him, Zero would be grinning throughout the entire time. Lelouch was worlds behind in terms of strength, and there was no way to outsmart someone who is him in all sense of the word. The dark god was the one making the rules, not Lelouch.

There was nothing he could do but hope that things won't go to the worst case scenario.

"Neptune, you just had to up and leave like that at the worst possible time. *Sigh* Well, two more days remain until Histoire provides a solution to the problem. I might as well get some sleep." Lelouch spoke and went to bed.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in Planeptune.

"HAHAHAHA! This power is amazing! I can feel it, the strength coursing through me!" Rei laughed maniacally.

"With this I can finally destroy all of the CPUs!" Rei continued to laugh.

From the side the blond girl, that had given her the power, was watching her.

"This is awesome! When she learns to control her power, I'll get to see the most awesome battle ever!" Croire thought, anticipation engulfing her.

* * *

 **Ok so this chapter was a little all over the place, i admit, but there were some good sides, no? I mean Lelouch is not the cold bastard which I made him out to be and likes Neptune despite all the jokes (Yeah that's right, there are chances for a NepxLulu though if it actually does happen it will be in the far future and it will have to compete with NoirexLulu XD). As for the LuluxHisty it's not going to be happening, since i've established their relationship as partners who trust in each other. (Sorry :D) I also decided to flush out the Zero persona, as until now he was portrayed as nothing but the madness that rests inside Lelouch. I wanted to make the character more complex, but still retain the madman element and add a method to it. I think i did a good job. (You can be completely straight forward with me and tell me if there is something on which i can improve upon or i forgot to or didn't cover completely, i always welcome productive criticism :D). There is also another element which i added to the story, you may have noticed it, but it will be hidden until later on :). Makes things more interesting that way, i think at least. Anyway thank you for reading and i wish you an awesome day!** **  
**


	33. From bad to worse

**Ok, so far so good. This chapter came up on the short end, but meh. Next one will more than make up for it :D! Anyway, let's begin!**

Chapter 33: From bad to worse

The next two days passed without much commotion and Histoire seemed to be done with her research. She contacted Mini Histoire in the Ultradimension and put up a video call screen. Lelouch was in the office, though he was only standing on the side, waiting to see what it was that Histoire had found.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Neptune." Said Hyper Histoire.

"And a heck of a wait it was! How many years do you think it's been since you called?" Asked Neptune, impatient as always.

"I… I apologize, but three days is far less than a year. You should know that much by now." Said Histoire.

"What she means to say is that there is a difference in the time flow." Lelouch said.

"There is?!" Neptune was shocked by the deduction.

"Ah, that would explain the long wait on our end." Said Ultra Histoire.

"For now, we need not worry about the passage of time." Said Hyper Histoire. "Returning to the issue at hand. In order to have Neptune return you'll need to work hard and increase Planeptune's shares."

Neptune was dumbfounded by the simple method. Lelouch was indifferent to it, as it only meant that they had to wait for Neptune to fix things on that side.

"What?! It's just increasing the Shares like every other time!" Complained Neptune.

"Um, I'd like some more detail too, please." Said mini Histoire.

"I understand. It seems that I… or, technically, we, as Histoires, possess a function that allows us to transcend dimensions." Explained Hyper Histoire.

"Really? I was never informed." Replied Ultra Histoire.

"It was located in the user's manual on page 141006. I foolishly skimmed over it on my initial read-through." Said Histoire. (I replayed this scene from Rebirth3 XD, if you were wondering about the page number.)

"I had no idea… I will reread the manual later, too." Said the mini oracle.

"However, for us to use this function we need the power of our assigned partners, the CPUs. By consuming our CPUs' shares, we can open a doorway of sorts that allows one to cross dimensions." Explained Histoire.

"How convenient, huh." Lelouch said from the side.

"I just gotta work hard, right?" Asked Neptune.

"Ahh, I'm so glad to hear that you are motivated." Said Histoire.

"Just you watch! I'm a pro at Share gathering!" Neptune stated.

"Yes, it would be beneficial for you to get your butt to work. On this side the citizens group has started to become more active, actually." Said Lelouch, his tone being serious. "The others are starting to lose ground. I'm keeping everything as best as I can, but without being the official CPU it's very hard to keep the people from rousing."

"Am I hearing things? Did you just say that you can't handle the situation without me, hmm, my dear Lulu?" Neptune joked.

"Without me, the one with most admirers, everything starts to crumble down!" She continued inflating her ego, while Lelouch's veins were starting to swell.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, simpleton." Lelouch snapped at her.

"Pardon?! The one with most followers is Noire." Said Histoire.

"What, she is?!" Neptune was shaken to the core.

"We ran a poll recently asking the world who they followed, and Noire won by a wide margin." Explained the oracle.

Lelouch grinned.

"You know what's even funnier, the sheer number of people that ignored you as an option." Lelouch laughed, causing Neptune to feel like there was something wrong with all of this.

"What?! How!? But, I'm the totally adorable main character, right? How could I lose to Noire of all people?" Neptune complained.

"I do not know what to tell you." Histoire said.

"But I do. The truth is people th-" Lelouch was cut off by the oracle.

"Don't you think that you've antagonized her enough for now?" Asked Histoire.

"Ugh. You're right, … I guess." Lelouch felt like a complete idiot.

"Damn, this idiot's behavior has rubbed off on me! I'll have to do something about this later." Lelouch thought, as he noticed that he had started to make jokes at others' expense.

"When we have everything prepared on our end we will contact you again. Until then." Histoire ended the call.

She turned to Lelouch.

"So, the only thing that I need to make sure off is that Planeptune's Shares be sufficient?" Asked Lelouch.

"Indeed." Replied Histoire.

"Wouldn't it be faster if you just used some of my power?" Lelouch suggested.

"Yes, but for that to happen i'll need to be fully concentrated, or otherwise both of us might end up in the rift between dimensions, since your power is in really high potency and quantity." Said the oracle, explaining the drawbacks to using the male CPU's power.

"Alright then, I shall return to my office. If you find anything new or need my help for something, you know where to find me." Lelouch said, as he left the oracle's office.

Meanwhile Nepgear and Uni were out patrolling together.

"Aww, … Neptune still isn't back… Where could she be?" Nepgear was sad.

"How long are you going to sulk? Cheer up already, will you?" Uni tried to lighten the girl's mood.

"There's no way I can cheer up without Neptune being home…" Nepgear replied.

"I get that, but you were apart from her for years before, right? You handled that just fine." Said Uni.

"That was then, this is now… Awww, goodness…" Nepgear was starting to tear up.

"You're really broken up about it. I can't make you cheer up, but at least do your work properly, ok?" Said Uni.

"Remember? Lelouch told us that the citizens group was acting strange and said that he wants us to investigate, while Rolo is out to help our sisters. You should be grateful that I was nice enough to join you." Said Uni.

"Right… I'm sorry… You came all this way to help because you were worried about me." Nepgear apologized.

"H-Huh?! W-Who said anything about being worried?! I… I was just…!" Uni was trying to think up an excuse, as per her tsundere nature.

"O-Oh, I know! I just wanted to use this opportunity to take away some of Planeptune's Shares!" Uni gave her excuse, which was ignored.

"Huh? That woman is…" Nepgear noticed a familiar face.

"Hey, are you listening to me?! I'm trying to explain why I'm not worried about you! Huh? That's the representative for that group!" Uni noticed the person Nepgear was looking at.

Rei was walking around with an angry expression on her face.

"What's she doing in a place like this?" Nepgear was confused.

"Let's ask her." Suggested Uni, as she went over to the woman.

"Huh? Wait, Uni." Nepgear followed after her.

"Hello. I have a question." Uni said to the woman.

"Hmm?" Rei frowned and looked intently at the younger girl.

"First I want to know what you are doing here, and then I want to know all about the Citizens Group." Demanded Uni.

"Uni, that's too blunt!" Nepgear tried to correct her.

"You're a CPU? …No…just a CPU Candidate…" Rei scaled the two girls.

"Hmph. So you know who we are. Then this will be quick. Be quiet and listen to us for a minute…" Uni was cut off.

"Mere CPU Candidates should not touch or speak to me so casually!" Rei yelled.

"Huh? Whooa!" Uni was brushed off to the side and stumbled on the ground.

"Uni!" Nepgear was concerned for her friend.

"Ouch! What're you… Huh?" Uni was confused, as the woman had disappeared.

"Uni, are you ok?" Asked Nepgear.

"Yeah, that was nothing. More importantly… she's gone…" Uni replied.

"Hmm? You're right!" Nepgear was surprised.

"What was that all about? She's a normal human, right?" Uni was confused.

Rei had gone somewhere else.

"Hmph. I won't stoop so low as to bother with the CPU Candidates. My targets are the CPUs themselves!" Rei growled.

In Ultradimension things weren't looking so good for the Seven Sages. (Yeah, we're dancing from one scene to another XD. Lulu where is your screen time?)

"You bald-head! Thanks to your screw-up, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place!" Abnes yelled at Mr. Badd.

"True… Lowee's rebounded and has even started to cooperate with the other nations." Sighed Rei.

"Conversely, thanks to our evil deeds being exposed, the public's opinion of us has bottomed out." Added Annonnydeath.

"Not only that! All of us might spend the rest of our lives behind bars!" Yelled Abnes.

"Oh boy. What to do, what to do? He's probably noticed the international airing by now. I need to find a way to convince him of letting us off the hook!" Rei was panicking.

"Relax, will ya? That guy is bound to run into the CPUs and they'll most likely confront each other so there's that, chu." Said Pirachu/ Warechu. (In the wiki it says Pirachu, but in the game his name is Warechu. I'm so confused right now. I'll probably go with one of those and keep it.)

"Yes, seeing as both Copy and Baddy's mech suit are in repair we have no way to fight…" Said Annonnydeath.

"Hmph. If we had a decent plan, I know I could destroy all the CPUs by myself." Arfoire stated.

"You got defeated first so your persuasiveness is at zero, chu." Replied Warechu.

"Dumbass! YOU lost first!" Yelled Arfoire.

"Warechu, dearie, you didn't even last long enough for you to state your name." Said Annonnydeath.

"Guh! Don't touch on that sensitive subject, chu!" Replied the rat.

"Ugh! I'm leaving I can't take this nonsense!" Yelled Abnes.

"Um, w-wait, Abnes… Where are you going?" Asked Rei.

"To see the CPUs! If we just sit here and argue, I'll never be able to save a single little girl!" She said and left.

"B-But the meeting's still… Please, please wait…" Rei wasn't able to keep her from leaving.

"I'm sick of this charade, too. If things are going to continue in this manner, I want out." Arfoire said.

"Lengthen that short fuse, sweetie. That other plan of ours is still proceeding quite smoothly." Replied Annonnydeath.

"I was never on board with that plan to begin with." Continued Arfoire.

"Don't be like that. It's bad enough that Rei doesn't like it, if you start too, Arfie, I…" The hacker was cut off.

"As long as I can kick back and relax, anything's fine, chu." Warechu stated.

"There's no way we can loop that little girl in on this business plan." Added Mr. Badd.

"If this strategy succeeds, then those wretched CPUs will… heheheheh." The old man chuckled.

"Tch. I still don't like it." Said Arfoire.

Back in the Hyperdimension Nepgear and Uni had returned to report what had happened to Lelouch.

"I see, so she's the one initiating these counter actions. Are both of you ok?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Replied Nepgear.

"What are we gonna do?" Asked Uni.

"Histoire has found a way to bring Neptune back. Now it's only a matter of time until Neptune prepares things on her side." Lelouch said.

Nepgear was overjoyed to hear that.

"Uni, would you set up a group call to the other Basilicoms, so I can inform the others?" Lelouch asked the dark haired girl.

"Sure, just give me a second." Uni called everyone and put them on the large screen in the office.

Everyone picked up.

"Hm? What is it, Lelouch?" Asked Blanc.

"Yeah, is there something wrong?" Noire did as well.

"No, I just wanted to inform you that if things proceed according to plan, Neptune will be returning soon." He said.

"That's splendid news." Said Vert, as a voice came from her screen.

"Big brother, I really don't want to stay here anymore." Rolo complained, with the most begging face possible.

"Rolo? What's wrong?" Lelouch was confused.

"Miss Vert, she is…" Rolo was embraced tightly, preventing him from speaking.

"Now now, I told you that you can refer to me as big sister." Smiled Vert.

"Vert, let go of him." Said Noire, feeling bad for the young boy.

"Don't make me come over to resolve the situation." Lelouch threatened.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be the overprotective kind." Teased him Vert.

Rolo managed to break free, barely. Lelouch was somewhere between irritation and confusion at how light-hearted everyone was, despite the current situation.

"*Sigh* There was one more thing. Be wary of the representative of the Citizens Group. Apparently she is acting strange. If you get any info on her, you are to inform me immediately." Lelouch said.

"Right." The three said and the call was ended.

The male CPU leaned back on his chair.

"Man, I feel so out of shape. Things like this used to run by without me even experiencing exhaustion in the slightest." Lelouch groaned.

"What do you mean?" Asked Nepgear.

"I'm referring to my work so far. In the past the workload, which I complete for half a day, used to take me a few hours." Lelouch explained.

"Wow, how's that even possible?!" Uni was astonished.

"That's amazing, Lelouch." Said Nepgear.

"Thank you for the compliments, but instead of basking in others' achievements, you must strive to make your own." Lelouch smiled at the two girls.

He received two energetic smiles as payment for his encouraging words.

After that, the rest of the day was uneventful. Lelouch spent the rest of his time trying to come up with fail-safes for all possible occurrences that might happen. That said, nothing could prepare him for the huge screw-up that was going to happen the next day.

* * *

 **Wow, so if you guys know how V's story proceeds i think you know what will be happening next chapter :). So there's someone holding the Seven Sages on a loose leash. Don't worry guys, we'll meet this character soon enough ;D, though i'm still thinking about how to go about his confrontation with the CPUs. Anyway enough spoilers from me and thank you for reading! Have a nice day :)!**


	34. Failed transfer

Chapter 34: Failed transfer

Lelouch's day started out normally. He took a bath, had breakfast and did his work. Everything was going fine, even when Histoire called him to help her with the set up work for the portal.

The two were standing on the huge courtyard of the Basilicom. The oracle was communicating with her other dimension counterpart.

"Alright. I have done as instructed and have moved to a wide, open area…" Said Ultra Histoire.

The four girls on the other side were having a sentimental farewell. (I'm too lazy to write it, ok)

"I will put you on speaker." Said Mini Histoire.

"Testing, testing… Neptune, can you hear me?" Asked Hyper Histoire.

"Yep, I hear you." Replied the purple haired girl.

"I apologize for the lengthy delay. I have finally discovered a surefire way to bring you back home." Histoire said happily. "And it's all because you worked very hard in the other dimension."

"Oh, shucks, it was no biggie…" Neptune accepted the compliment.

"We will get to opening the pathway, so please wait there." Said the oracle and turned to the dark haired boy next to her, while the farewells continued on the speakers.

"Lelouch, let us proceed." Said the oracle.

"Right." Lelouch placed his hand on the blond girl's shoulder and allowed his energy to flow through her.

Histoire concentrated and was successful in opening a pillar of light that. It looked like a mirror and a hole in the air at once, as Neptune's image was starting to get clearer.

That said, however, there was a slight miscalculation on the oracle and male CPU's part.

"Histoire, Lelouch! My big sister! Is Neptune really coming back?!" Came the voice of Nepgear, who was running towards them.

Lelouch had forgotten to tell the girl to stay put and now things were starting to get out of hand.

"Nepgear, please go somewhere else. This isn't as easy as it looks!" Replied Lelouch, who was having trouble keeping up the steady flow of his energy.

"No, Nepgear! We need to concentrate!" Tried to warn her Histoire.

"Oh, wowee, what's this light? Is this where she's coming from?!" Nepgear ignored their warnings and went closer to the pillar of light.

"I said NO! Please get back!" Histoire yelled, only for the girl to cause the portal to become unstable and to start sucking her in.

"Neptune! Can you hear me?!" Asked Nepgear, dangerously close to the unstable portal.

Lelouch saw where things were going and rushed to grab Nepgear away from the portal.

"God damn it, already!" He yelled, as he let go of Histoire and grabbed hold of the girl.

"No, Lelouch!" Histoire tried to stop him, but was too late.

"Whoa!" Nepgear exclaimed as the portal sucked them in.

"Stupidest idea ever!" Lelouch complained about his choice of action, as he was dragged inside along with Nepgear.

"Nepgear! Lelouch!" Yelled Hyper Histoire, as the two disappeared along with the pillar of light.

Lelouch found himself to be falling from the sky alongside Nepgear.

"WAAAAAH! We're falling!" Screamed Nepgear.

Lelouch didn't even have it in him to speak anymore. The irritation and anger caused by the turn of events were starting to take hold of him. He looked at their landing point and saw that Nepgear was about to land on a dark haired person.

"Move! Move! Move! Pleeeeeeeease!" Yelled the falling girl, as she landed straight on top of the girl standing beneath her with a loud crashing noise.

Lelouch, on the other hand, landed on his feet, crouching in order to lessen the shock from the fall, causing the ground under him to crack from the force convulsion. (Yeah, he's landing Prototype style! Great game by the way, highly recommend it if you have the time to play it.)

"Oooh, owwy…" Nepgear was trying to shake off the damage from the fall.

Neptune looked at the unfolding situation.

"Oh, boy. It's Nep Jr. and Lulu." She said, somewhat disappointed.

"Huh? N-Neptune? I… I found you! I've missed you so much!" Nepgear ran over and hugged her sister.

"That's sweet, kiddo. I've missed you too, and I'm happy and all, but this situation is…" Neptune looked at the squashed Noire, who was slowly getting up.

"Oh my. This is terrible!" Hyper Histoire panicked. "Not only have I lost Neptune, but now even Lelouch and Nepgear, too!"

"This entire scene is messed up now." Said Ultra Blanc.

"Woooow, so this is Nepgear…!" Said a violet haired girl with a slow voice.

"Goodness! You look just like Blanc! And you are… Plutia, was it? I'm Nepgear, Neptune's little sister." Nepgear introduced herself.

"Yeeeep, I'm Plutia… Let's be frieeends." Said happily Plutia.

Noire then interrupted the introductions.

"What is it with you two sisters!? It's like you were both aiming at me or something?!" Yelled the tsundere.

Their conversation continued, while Lelouch's patience was starting to run short. His anger was only growing, as some of his veins on his forehead were starting to show and he was emitting red aura from himself. The energy caught everyone's attention and noticed his, let's say, displeased expression.

"I-It's ok, Lulu! Please calm down!" Tried to stop him Neptune, but without success.

"Oh my. It is rare to see someone this angry." Said Mini Histoire a little frightened from the boy's mood.

Lelouch walked over to the Nep sisters, who quivered in fear as he stared them down.

"YOU IMBECILES!" He yelled, letting out all of the anger built up in him, shocking everyone present.

The two girls paled.

"Not only were things bad back at Planeptune, but you now managed to make things even worse!" He continued to yell.

"Eeep! We're sorry!" Apologized the two girls.

It seemed that he had let off enough steam for him to calm down, as Lelouch regained his composure and let out a long and heavy sigh. He walked over to Ultra Histoire.

"Are you still communicating with our dimension's Histoire?" He asked in a calm and serious tone.

"Y-Yes." Replied the oracle, trying to comprehend the fact that he had calmed down.

"Lelouch, what are we going to do?! I can't open that portal again!" Panicked Hyper Histoire.

"Calm down and listen to me." Lelouch said, as the oracle on the other side did as she was told.

"What I need you to do right now is to go and tell everyone of what has happened. Inform them that they should try to keep an eye on Planeptune when they have the spare time from their own matters. Also I want you to relay this to Rolo. He is to stay put in Planeptune and help you handle the situation until I can find a way to get back. Contact us if there is an emergency, I want all the information I can get." Lelouch ordered, intriguing Ultra Histoire of his calm analytical prowess.

"Alright. I'll do as you said and contact you if something comes up." Hyper Histoire ended the call.

Lelouch let out another sigh.

"Now then, with that finished…" He turned to all the girls looking at him with curiosity in their eyes.

"Hey Neppy, is that the Lulu person you were talking about?" Asked Plutia.

"Yeah. Everyone, meet Lelouch, he's usually quiet and keeps to himself, but is a real nag when angered." Neptune did a shit job of introducing him, gaining a glare from the boy.

"I don't suppose that you want to be 'nagged', now would you, Neptune?" He threatened with a cheerful smile, betraying his anger and causing Neptune to gulp down her words.

"Anyway, my name is Lelouch, dark CPU of Gamindustri." Lelouch introduced himself with a formal gesture and slight bow, earning the curiosity of the tiny Histoire.

"Woooow, you're like a prince." Plutia marveled at him.

"My name is Plutia, Planeptune's CPU. Let's be friends." Smiled the girl.

Lelouch felt something strange. He was getting a vibe from the girl, but he couldn't exactly tell what it was.

"I'm Noire, CPU of Lastation, though if I were to judge Neptune's words, that would mean that you already know the me in your world." Said the dark haired girl.

"It really is strange to give our names to someone who already knows them." Added Blanc.

"Don't worry yourselves about it." Replied the young man.

"What did you mean by 'dark CPU'?" Asked Noire, whose question was followed by a nod from Blanc.

Lelouch glanced at the mini Histoire, who gave him a look that said 'We'll talk about it later.'.

"I will explain some other time. Right now I want to be brought up to date on what is happening here." Lelouch said.

"Yes, let us move inside. There we will inform you and Nepgear of everything that's happened." Replied Histoire.

The group moved to a living room in the Basilicom. To Lelouch's surprise there were three babies there, which Neptune and Plutia seemed to be taking care of. Nepgear went off with the two girls to help them, while Lelouch listened to Histoire's explanation, with Noire and Blanc beside her, interested in the boy's previous statement.

After he was brought up to date on the Seven Sages and their deeds, along with the girls' adventures so far, he decided to summarize the current situation.

"Hmm, interesting. So you mean to tell me that the CPU of Leanbox has declared war on all other nations?" Lelouch replied to the explanation, as he glanced off to the side to see the three girls playing with the babies.

"Yes, it is a very precautious situation." Said Histoire.

Lelouch chuckled.

"Well, do what you will. I have no intention of getting involved in pointless matters." Lelouch replied, knowing that someone like Vert was far behind him and didn't feel like committing the effort to deal with her.

"What, you're gonna leave us to handle this on our own?!" Neptune dramatized, expecting that kind of reply from the boy.

"Why, actually, yes. All of you can go and do all the physical labor. It is of no concern to me. What I can do, however, is help you handle things in this Basilicom." Replied Lelouch.

"Heeeey, since you and Neppy Jr. are CPUs, can you transform?" Asked Plutia with her usual slow tone.

Nepgear tried to, but seemed to fail. Lelouch didn't try, as he could clearly sense his power and wanted to withhold as much information about himself as possible, in case things got to the point that he needed to deal with everyone here.

"Huh? Why can't I transform?" Asked Nepgear confused.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I'm going to ask Vert about a CPU mammory or what was it for you the next time I meet her." Neptune remembered that small detail.

"Sooo, are you not able to transform?" Plutia was confused.

"It would seem that Nepgear is indeed unable to, but that doesn't mean that the same rule applies to me. That said I don't like to transform casually like some people do." Lelouch explained.

"Why nooot? Biggest meanie ever." Pouted Plutia because she didn't get to see him transform.

Lelouch went over to the babies, who were confused from seeing him, noticing that two of them looked familiar.

"Who dis?" Asked a baby IF.

"Sumbunny I dunno." Replied a baby Compa.

"They're super-duper cute!" Exclaimed Nepgear.

"Hehehe. Hewwo." Said Peashy happily.

Lelouch took of his black and gold coat and left it on the couch, as he sat down in front of the kids and smiled at them.

"Hello, to you as well. I'm Lelouch. It's nice to meet you." He smiled.

"L-Leluch?" IF tried to pronounce his name.

"Lu-Lu?" Compa wasn't even close.

"Lulu! Luuluu!" Peashy spun around happily.

From the side the girls watched as the boy played with the babies.

"Wow, I never expected the cold and strict Lulu to have a soft spot in his stone heart for children." Neptune joked, but was still surprised at how genuinely happy the boy was while playing with the kids.

"He seems almost as a different person from earlier." Said Histoire, enjoying the fact that there was more than the cold front which the boy showed to everybody.

"Yeah, Lelouch's very good with kids." Nepgear added happily.

"I wish I had a big brother like Lulu, who would play with me." Plutia smiled.

Histoire, along with the other girls except for Nepgear, became somewhat frightened and confused from the girl's statement.

"Well, the kids seem to behave themselves before him." Said Noire.

"It makes you wonder what it is that they see in him." Added Blanc.

"Ah, I believe it's the image of a kind and strict father figure. Those three see all of you as one of them so they don't hold back on you, but they don't seem to want to put him in that category." Explained Histoire.

"So you mean to say that those kids think more highly of Lelouch than they do of us?!" Neptune was shocked.

Lelouch of course could hear their conversation behind his back and decided to add a comment of his own.

"It would seem that nothing can hide the fact that I'm far superior to you." He grinned.

"Ugh. There he goes again, inflating his ego. You still suck at games though, so there!" Neptune tried to halt the way of the conversation.

"A foolish activity for slackers, who don't want to spend their time more productively." Lelouch retorted.

"Anyway, back to the point at hand. We must go to Leanbox and deal with this challenge issued to us by this unknown CPU!" Stated Noire.

"It would seem that we finally agree on something." Added Blanc.

"Um, Noire… I don't think I can come with youuuu." Said Plutia.

"Huh? Why not?" Noire was confused.

"Because I have to look after these babies." Replied Plutia.

"You don't need to worry yourselves. Nepgear and I will be staying behind so we will take care of them." Said Lelouch, as he stood up, leaving the kids with a smile, as they continued to play with each other.

Noire and Blanc were staring at him.

"Very suspicious." The two thought, as they couldn't figure him out. One minute he was giving orders left and right, the next he's taking care of small children.

"Nice idea. That way we won't have to worry about them." Said Neptune.

"Oh, okaaay… The babies like you, too." Smiled Plutia.

"P-Please wait a moment. I finally reunited with my sister, so I'd really prefer being with her." Nepgear tried to argue her case.

"Nepgear, you can't transform. You'll only be in their way if you go." Lelouch clearly stated facts to the girl, closing off her option of going with the rest.

"Don't worry, we'll get you a souvenir on the way back." Waved Neptune as the four girls went out.

After they left Nepgear was trying to put the kids under control, as they played rather roughly with her. Lelouch, on the other hand, followed Histoire over to her office, so the two could have a normal discussion without interruptions.

He let out a sigh.

"I take it is always as chaotic as this?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's hard to work like this, but at least it's a lively atmosphere." Smiled the small Histoire.

Lelouch scaled her with his gaze, taking mental note of things he found intriguing about this Histoire's behavior.

"I take it that you wanted to talk about something with me?" Lelouch was already roughly aware of what the oracle wanted but still pushed the issue.

"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about the fact that you are a dark CPU." Said the oracle.

"I see. Then that begs the question, have you explained to the others about the two types of CPUs and how their powers work?" Lelouch raised his question.

"No, I have not. Until now it hasn't really come up to be a necessary topic for me to explain." Replied Histoire. "I was also interested in if you had the Geass or not."

"What do you think?" Asked Lelouch, challenging the oracle's judgement to test her in a way.

"Well, from what I saw earlier and the type of person that you've let on to be, then my answer would have to be 'yes', though I imagine your Geass to be a very powerful one." Said Histoire, waiting to see if her intuition was correct.

"I'm impressed that you were able to tell so much. Yes, you're right. My Geass is a very terrifying power, but rest assured I have no intention of using it on any of you, as long as you don't give me a reason to." Lelouch complimented her and confirmed her theory.

"It is very reassuring to hear that. I'm personally yet to meet a CPU possessing the Geass apart from you." Said Histoire.

"Interesting. So none of those girls possess the Geass. Well to be honest I didn't expect much either so there's that. That said, however, Plutia seems to be the most intriguing one. She doesn't look like much, but I'm sure she's the strongest of the bunch." Lelouch stated his observations.

"Yes, Plutia is really terrifying when she transforms. I don't know how strong you are, but I recommend you don't anger her while staying here." Said Histoire, as a chill ran down her spine just thinking about the transformed Plutia.

"I guess I shall take your word on that, though I doubt she's as strong as you make her out to be." Lelouch replied.

"Anyway, what do you plan to do from here on?" Asked the oracle.

"Well, for starters, I'll wait till everyone's gathered so that way we can gather enough Shares to get me and those airheaded siblings back home. Till then, I guess I shall help you deal with those Seven Sages. It sounds like a worthwhile way to pass the time." Said the dark haired young man, as he laid his head on one of his hands.

"I see. Thank you for spending your time clearing things up with me. I hope we can continue having a friendly relationship." Smiled Histoire.

"The feeling's mutual." Lelouch smiled as well, as the two headed back to see if Nepgear wasn't demolished by the children.

Unfortunately, the girl was in bad shape, as she had simultaneously withstood attacks from the three kids. Lelouch let out a sigh and went over to calm down the kids.

On their way to Leanbox, the four CPUs were conversing about their new acquaintances.

"Hey, Neptune. Share more about Lelouch. He seems to be not telling a lot of things." Said Blanc.

"Huh, Lulu? Don't worry, he may act mean and angry, but he's a really nice guy who values the people around him and only wants the best for them. He does have a few shortcomings though. Some are his incredibly bad skills at video games and his perfectionism." Neptune replied with her arms behind her head.

"He's a complex character, huh?" Noire was surprised.

"Yeah, it ruins the game's light hearted and easy to understand atmosphere." Neptune broke the 4th wall.

"Do you think he would like for me to make a plushie of him?" Asked Plutia.

Neptune became confused, as she tried to put herself in Lelouch's shoes and think how he would react.

"Sure, I don't think he would be against it." Said Neptune smiling at her bud.

"Yaaayy. I'll start making it when we get back." Plutia replied happily.

Their conversation moved over to how Neptune's sister ruined the whole scene of Neptune's departure and how silly it was.

Meanwhile somewhere else in Gamindustri.

"I finally got back. Rei, just you wait. I'll show you and your little group that I was being generous when I decided to give you a chance of redemption. All of you will face justice for your crimes against the people." Said a young man, as he arrived in Lastation, intent on carrying out his mission.

* * *

 **Alright! Lulu got dragged along on the ride to Ultradimension :D! Well i think it was forseable, since most of the story revolves there. Lelouch will now have to deal with another set of girls, plus he is yet to meet with Sadie :). He will get to meet the Seven Sages and most importantly, the man hunting them down. Don't worry guys, i'll get to the reveal of this character in due time, for now he is a mystery, i hope XD. Anyway that was mostly what is going on in my head right now. Things will only get more inextricable from here on, as the story deepens. Thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day!**


	35. Childish accusations

**Whew, finally managed to finish this. This was more of an introduction chapter than anything else. Anyway enough from me, let's get started!**

Chapter 35: Childish accusations

Plutia and Neptune returned from their trip to Leanbox and explained what had happened. Lelouch wasn't really surprised at the development, as he had expected Vert to only issue a challenge with no action behind it.

However, there was one peculiar thing about the situation.

"Oh, both of you are quite late! We are in the midst of an emergency!" Panicked mini Histoire.

"An emergency…? Tell me, tell me!" Plutia was curious.

"Because you two had been away for so long, Nepgear is… is…!" Histoire couldn't find the words to describe the situation.

"Huh?! What about Nep Jr.?! What's happened to her now?" Neptune became alerted.

On the side was a severely depressed Nepgear crouched down, knees to her face and was mumbling things to herself.

"Even though… I finally reunited with my big sister, after so long… She just up and leaves me again…" Nepgear sulked.

"Maybe I'm unwanted, after all… I'm a boring and normal and no good and unfunny protagonist…" Nepgear was starting to tear up.

The babies were trying to comfort her.

"She's been like this for a while now. When I went over to talk to her, nothing of what I said seemed to faze her." Lelouch said, giving Neptune a critic glare.

"My heavens…" Sighed Neptune.

"Neppy, that aside…" Plutia was worried for Nepgear.

"Oh, right. Hey, uh… Nep Jr.?" Neptune went over to her sister.

She didn't receive a reply.

"Huh? Are you going deaf now? Hey, little Miss Nepgear!" Neptune tried to gain her attention.

"What is it, big sister who left me behind in a different dimension?" Replied Nepgear with a bland look.

"Whaaaat? Hey, this is weird. I'm pretty sure she was never the type of girl to be so negative." Neptune was shocked.

"That is the effect of being left behind quite often has had on her." Said Histoire.

"You're a disgrace of an older sister." Lelouch grunted from the side, as he glared at the purple haired girl.

"Aww, poor Neppy Jr." Plutia was feeling sad for the girl.

"Aw, c'mon! I'm surely not the only one at fault!" Neptune tried to shift the blame.

Nepgear continued to mumble things on the side.

"Hurry and apologize to her." Histoire scolded Neptune.

"Hurry, hurry!" Added Plutia.

"Okay… So, hey, I'm sorry Nep Jr. I mean, at the time, there were a lot of things on my head. See my big farewell scene suddenly got canned. Even for little ol me, it was too hard to keep calm after that." Neptune tried to explain herself.

"Where's my souvenir?" Asked Nepgear.

"Huh? Your souvenir?" Neptune was confused.

"You promised to bring me back a souvenir, didn't you?" Said Nepgear.

Neptune became really nervous. She tried to find some moral support in Plutia, who only shook her head, as neither of them had bought anything.

"You didn't even buy me a cute little souvenir…" Nepgear became even more depressed.

"I knew it. You went and forgot about me again. *Sob* Who cares… It's only me after all *Sob*…" Nepgear started to tear up.

Neptune panicked even more. Lelouch was starting to get really irritated from her lack of any intellect whatsoever. He went over to Nepgear and put his hand over her shoulder.

"That's not true, Nepgear." He tried to reassure the girl, who in turn hugged him and was trying to hold back her tears.

"Lelouch, you're the only one that doesn't ignore and forget about me *Sob*." Nepgear cried, as Lelouch gave Neptune a stare which, if it could, would kill her.

"No, no! Ugh, this is bad. In times like this, I gotta… Yeah!" Neptune transformed.

"Nep Jr. I apologize for my absent mindedness, but never forget that I love you!" Smiled Purple Heart, causing a reaction from the younger girl.

"Huh?" Nepgear looked at her sister.

On the side, Plutia was marveling at the situation.

"Woooow! A love confession!" She was overjoyed.

"No. Such shallow methods of deception will probably cause even more pain." Sighed Histoire.

"Will you say that again?" Asked Nepgear, blushing, as she let go of Lelouch.

Purple Heart embraced her.

"Of course. I love you, my dear Nep Jr." Said Neptune, as she stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that I said mean and gloomy things! I love you, too! I love my big sister so much!" Nepgear returned to her usual self.

Lelouch looked from the side and thought to himself.

"I'll have to drill into her the responsibility of an older sibling later." He took a mental note.

Neptune returned to normal, as Nepgear was still hugging her.

"Aww, I'm sooooo glad you made up." Smiled Plutia.

"I believe in classical theatre, this situation is called a farce." Said Histoire.

"And a huge one at that." Added Lelouch.

The next day everyone was at the Basilicom and were discussing what to do next, until the babies came up.

"Hungry!" Said baby IF.

"Hungry, hungry!" Added baby Compa.

"Food in my face!" Said Peashy.

Lelouch smiled at the kids, as Plutia stood up from her seat.

"Yes, yes… wait juuuust a sec…" She went over to the fridge and took out a box of milk.

"Good grief. Kids sure are slaves to their own greed." Smiled Neptune from the side.

"I'm sure that no one wants to hear that from you." Replied Noire.

"Honestly, I feel like we are getting bossed around by the children." Said Blanc.

"That's because you don't have the right method of going about with small kids." Replied Lelouch.

"Hmmm, how about some yummy milk?" Asked Plutia cheerfully.

"I guess that's okay." Said baby IF.

"Yay! I love milk!" Added baby Compa.

"Boo…" For some reason Peashy wasn't thrilled.

"Huh? You don't want any?" Plutia was confused.

"No, not moo-moo milk! Gimme booby milk!" Demanded Peashy, making the whole room go nuts.

"What?!" All of them were shocked.

"Huuuuh? I think that's impossible…" Plutia panicked.

"Booby milk! Booby milk!" Continued to demand Peashy.

"Um, what should we do? Neppy, can I milk you?" Asked Plutia.

"No, no, no, not happening. For this task… only Noire can be trusted! Milk em up Noire!" Neptune shifted the responsibility.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! Blanc, you're the oldest one here, so… this one's all yours." Noire did the same.

"Are you outta your damn mind?! I can't possibly make breast milk!" Blanc yelled.

Lelouch started to feel the pressure from this atmosphere. His imagination was on the verge of running wild and that was something he wanted to avoid.

"Um, I think I'll excuse myself and leave you all to handle this situation." He said nervously as he was about to leave.

"Heeey, don't abandon us." Begged Plutia, as she tugged his sleeve.

"B-But, I'm of no use in this situation, so, ahaha…" Lelouch was trying to keep himself collected and think up an excuse.

"Come on! Can't you, I don't know, use that Lulu charm of yours and make the kid change her mind?!" Neptune panicked.

Lelouch still being flustered from the situation didn't think her statement through and thought that she meant to use his Geass on the little girl.

"Like hell, I'll do that! I'll much rather milk you, instead!" He snapped back, not helping the conversation.

The panic continued, as everyone was trying desperately to find a solution to the problem. Fortunately, the babies seemed to handle the problem by themselves as Compa and IF persuaded Peashy to go with the milk from the box.

"Don't be selfish." Said IF.

"Moo milk is yums, too." Said Compa.

"Boo… Fine, I'll drink it." Peashy surrendered.

Everyone let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Phew… Good girl…" Plutia regained her cheerful smile.

"Geez. Kids say the darndest things." Sighed Noire.

"That was bad for my heart." Said Blanc.

"No kidding. I was about to force Neptune to transform, as well." Sighed Lelouch, glad that things didn't have to reach the critical point.

"Must be nice being the guy, huh." Sulked Neptune.

"Hey, it's not as easy as you make it out to be. It takes a lot of self-control and force of will for me to keep calm around you sometimes." Lelouch felt like he was being taken for granted.

With that the day continued on normally, until Plutia came up to Lelouch, who was doing the paper work in the office, holding something behind her back.

"Um, hey. Can I call you Lu?" Asked Plutia with a smile. (Yeah, the embarrassing nicknames game is strong with this one XD)

Lelouch felt like at this rate his name would only be pronounced as 'L' or something far worse, but decided to indulge the girl in her antics.

"Sure, I guess, but not in front of people." He replied with somewhat irritation evident in his voice.

"Yaay. Here, I made this for you, Lu." Said cheerfully the girl, not noticing his tone, and handing him a plushie.

Hearing the nickname for the second time, only caused his eyebrow to twitch, as he took the plushie and noticed that it resembled him.

It was with a small version of his black and gold long coat and had the most neutral expression ever. He wasn't quite sure what to think of it, as he never really had an experience like this.

"Do you like it? I make plushies of all of my friends." Smiled Plutia.

"Yes, it's alright, though I've changed my mind about the nickname from earlier. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't call me that." Lelouch replied with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, ok, then can I keep calling you Lulu?" Asked Plutia with hope in her eyes that at least they could reach a compromise.

Lelouch sighed.

"Yes, there isn't a problem with that one." Lelouch said, feeling somewhat bad if he would deny the girl again, after she had spent her time and effort to make something for him.

"Come, we'll place it with the rest." Said happily Plutia, as she tugged Lelouch by the arm and the two went over to the girl's room.

Inside was a huge couch, almost completely covered in plushies. Lelouch admired the effort that the girl had spent in making all of these, as he put his plushie in the corner of the couch.

"No, not theeere. It will be all alone by itself." Plutia complained, as she took the plushie and placed it in the middle among the others.

"There, much better." Smiled happily Plutia.

Lelouch smiled at the girl, as he appreciated the gesture.

"Well then, I'm heading back to finish with work." He bid farewell to the girl, as he went back to the office.

A week passed since the four CPUs' trip to Leanbox and everyone was now gathered at Planeptune's Basilicom, again.

"How are your nations? It's been a whole week since the Leanbox meeting." Noire started the conversation.

"No negative impact on my end." Said Blanc.

"It's the same here." Added Histoire.

"Oooooh, really?" Plutia was curious.

"Dang, you work quick, Mini Histy! When'd you get time to research?" Asked Neptune.

"It was all thanks to Lelouch's gracious offering of helping me with work, an example that you two can learn from." Histoire scolded them.

The male CPU in question was off to the side, sipping from his cup of tea and reading a book from the Basilicom library. He was listening to their conversation, but didn't want to participate in it.

"I see. Things were the same in my nation, too. People complained about the Leanbox products." Said Noire.

"In Lowee was the same. There were countless complaints about the hardware." Added Blanc.

"In the end, Leanbox was all bark and no bite. I feel kind of dumb for getting panicked at all." Sighed Noire.

"Hmph, it wasn't like there was anything to expect to begin with, since its Vert we are talking about." Lelouch thought to himself.

"Yeah, I'd never lose to some dumb woman who's only big in one place." Growled Blanc.

"I figured something like this would happen. It was Vert, after all." Neptune said with a content smile.

"You're really ripping on her, huh? Our dimension's Vert is very strong when she's serious. I think. Maybe." Nepgear started to doubt her own statement.

"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, Lulu is probably the-" Neptune was cut off by Vert who stormed into the room.

"Ladies!" She said.

"Yikes! Surprised I am!" Neptune was shocked by her unannounced arrival.

Vert started to complain about how her hardware was receiving criticism and blamed the four girls for what was happening. (Yeah, there's no way in hell I'm writing all of that lame dialogue) Of course her accusations turned out to be fruitless, as there was no one at fault but her.

"Hmm? None of you did anything? But it's incredibly popular in my nation… so why?" Vert was confused.

"It is a person's choice to decide what is to his liking and not." Came the voice of Lelouch, who was starting to get really annoyed from the conversation.

"And who might you be?" Asked Vert, taking notice of the young man's presence.

Lelouch gave her a quick disinterested glance.

"The name's Lelouch." He said, as he returned his gaze back to his book.

"B-But still! Whether it's one's hardware or bust size, bigger is always better, is it not?" Argued Vert.

"Bust size… You finally come clean and admit that it's all about your damn tits, huh?!" Blanc snapped.

She transformed.

"Let's rumbe, now! If you don't defend yourself, you'll get crushed!" Yelled White Heart.

"Aaah! Please do not go ballistic in our Basilicom!" Histoire panicked.

"Eat an icicle or something, Blanc! Your boiling point is way too low." Neptune said.

"Aww, that's soooo nice… She can transform whenever she wants… I wanna transform, too…" Plutia was envious.

"No! Absolutely not!" Yelled Noire.

Lelouch was at his limit.

"Silence!" He raised his voice, causing everyone to shut up and look at him.

"Hmph, finally some peace and quiet." He said.

"Awww, Lulu yelled at us…" Plutia was sad.

"What's your problem asshole!?" Yelled Blanc, as she received a threatening stare from Lelouch.

"You have two options. One, you transform back to normal and stop this childish squabbling. Two, I grind you into the ground. I don't have a preference. The choice is yours." He said, which caused Neptune to get even more concerned when Blanc didn't want to back down.

"N-Now now Blanc. How about you transform back, ok? Lulu, please don't blow your top as well. Pretty please?" She said trying to ease up the situation.

Lelouch sighed and Blanc seemed to calm down somewhat.

"Fine. If you intend to go that far, then we shall indeed settle this!" Said Vert, not backing down.

"Goodness, Vert! P-Please don't fight in here. Please!" Nepgear tried to reason with her.

"Of course, I would never allow us to have our showdown in a meager location such as this." Smirked Vert.

"The most fitting locale for our final battle is where I became a CPU!" Declared Vert.

"In other words you wanna fight on your home turf? Pretty cheap move for someone who talks so much shit." Said the angered White Heart.

"Say what you will. In that place I will be able to wield my powers at full. And with them, I will crush you, both body and soul!" Vert issued her challenge.

"I don't see why we should bother to travel there to meet you." Replied Noire.

"Well, if you are all scared despite it being four against one, then I suppose I won't force the issue." Smirked Vert, as she provoked them.

"But I will certainly let the whole world know that the four CPUs were all too scared to face me." Vert said.

"Four? Um, are you not counting me?" Nepgear was confused.

"Hmph, what a childish provocation." Lelouch wasn't impressed in the slightest.

"So in the end you're threatening us. Fine. I'll agree to your tems!" Blanc replied, causing Lelouch to let out a sigh filled with disappointment.

"Excellent. Then I shall await your arrival. Come when you feel you are prepared for your humiliation." Said Vert, as she left.

"Aaaaand she's gone…" Plutia commented.

"Could you try not to decide what all of us are going to do without asking?" Complained Noire to Blanc.

"Oh… Sorry." Apologized Blanc, as she transformed back to normal.

"All my blood rushed over to my head." She said.

"Good grief! The folks over here sure are quick to start a fight." Sighed Neptune.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Lelouch said, glancing at the girl.

"I guess we have to go now, though I feel like we're following her orders, so I'm kind of against it." Noire complained.

"If you don't like it, then stay here. I won't lose to her, even if I'm alone." Replied Blanc.

"You're right. We don't have to do everything together." Said Noire.

"I've got to go. I totally forgot, but I gotta get a CPU Mammory or whatever from Vert for Nep Jr.!" Said Neptune, feeling hyped.

"If Neppy's going, I am tooooo…" Added Plutia cheerfully.

"Vert seemed really angry… I'm okay. It doesn't have to be right now…" Said Nepgear.

"No, no! The longer you act passive and whatnot, the more you're going to age! I'll plead with Vert for it. Hands and knees, the whole shebang." Said Neptune.

"You'd go… that far for me?" Nepgear was touched by her sister's proclamation.

"Naturally. Everything for my beloved and lovely little sister!" Neptune smiled happily.

"Plus, if you age any more, people will get crazy confused about which one of us is the older sister!" Neptune added with a dissatisfied tone.

"Your true motive is leaking out." Told her Histoire.

"Thank you so much! I really love you, Neptune!" Nepgear hugged her sister.

"Fine. Maybe I'll go, after all. I doubt you'd be able to take care of this by yourselves." Said Noire.

"It'd really help me out since I have to deal with these two." Blanc gave a quick glance to Plutia and Neptune.

Everyone was about to go on their way, until Neptune stopped realizing that they were forgetting something.

"Aha! You thought you were going to get away from coming, didn't you!" Neptune turned to Lelouch, who was lying on the couch, the book he was reading was resting on his face as an attempt to make him even less part of the whole scenario.

"Ugh. You can all go without me. Have fun." He waved at them, not taking off the book.

"No, you're coming, buster! Whether you like it or not!" Neptune went over and took the book and hit him on the head with it.

"Ow! You'd be fine on your own, your opponent is Vert for crying out loud! You don't need me for your stupid squabbles." He protested.

"You need not worry yourself, I'll be looking after the Basilicom, so you can join them." Said Histoire.

"Damn, you cut out my excuse on purpose, didn't you?" Lelouch thought, cursing that his best chance of being left alone was now gone.

"C'mon! Stop being so stubborn and just go already!" Neptune was trying to push him to move, but to no avail.

"Yeeeah, we'll go out and play together." Smiled Plutia.

The dark haired boy let out a sigh, as he brushed off Neptune and dusted off his long coat and fixed the collar, which Neptune's pushing and tugging at his clothes had ruined.

"I guess I'll come with you, not like you're leaving me any other choice that is." He said with an annoyed tone, as they set out to Leanbox.

Meanwhile at their secret base, the Seven Sages were having another meeting.

"Oh, what to do, what to do?! Oh dear, oh my…" Rei panicked.

"Still panicking?" Mr. Badd asked.

"Ever since the CPU of Leanbox appeared, she's been like this." Said Abnes.

"CPUs and nations keep increasing! Four nations and what, five CPUs? Or is it six now? Still… agggh…" Rei frantically voiced her worries.

"I've said it before, but you are such an annoying woman… Can't you calm yourself for a single moment?" Arfoire was growing impatient.

"No! I can't calm down at all!" Rei replied, causing somewhat surprise among her colleagues.

"Oh, she talked back for once." Said Warechu.

"Dear me, Rei is growing up a bit. But she needs to be more careful of who it is she's talking back to." Said Annonnydeath.

"Who do you think you are addressing with that comeback?" Asked Arfoire, her tone not betraying her anger.

"Eep… I'm sorry… I was a little upset, so…" Rei apologized.

"No need for us to meddle this time. Let the CPUs fight among themselves." Said Mr. Badd.

"Agreed. I don't care, personally, because Leanbox's CPU isn't a little girl in the slightest." Added Abnes, without much enthusiasm.

"Wh-What?! We can't just leave them be… Uuughhh…" Rei was starting to grow a headache.

"Ugh, enough! My patience is at its limit!" Growled Arfoire.

"Hmm? Where are you going, Arfie?" Asked Annonnydeath.

"I'll go eradicate all of Leanbox. Maybe if I do that, that nervous wreck over there will finally shut up." Arfoire grinned.

"No, you mustn't do anything rash. Things are bad enough as they are." Tried to stop her Rei.

"Well, Rei's worries are justified. If you show up now and start to cause chaos, that person will surely notice and head straight for you." Replied Annonnydeath.

"Are you trying to stop me?" Asked Arfoire with a threatening tone.

"No, not in the slightest. I merely wanted to offer you a lovely little gift." Replied the mech armored hacker.

"If it's something ridiculous I'll throw it right in the thrash." Said Arfoire.

"I managed to rebuild your beloved boy-toy! Take him for a spin and a have a cute little date for me!" Replied cheerfully the hacker.

"My beloved… boy-toy?" Arfoire was confused.

"I tuned him up just a smidge, and I'm sure you'll fall in love all over again. Tee-hee-hee!" Said cheerfully Annonnydeath. (Honestly, this guy could've been one of the coolest characters if he wasn't, I don't want to risk offending anybody so I'll just say this, the way he is)

* * *

 **Ok, so next chapter will finally be an action packed one. Battles have been missing for a while and i'm more than happy to announce that next chapter will be full of them! Also Lulu will get to meet the queen herself, the mighty Sadie XD. I feel like that in itself is a golden mine of opportunities. I also want to get some things out of the way. I think i'll be able to manage to upload another chapter or two, but after that i'll be taking a roughly week long break, so there won't be any updates from me for a while guys/ girls, sorry. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and i bid you a great day and a good night to me :D!**


	36. Battle in Leanbox

**I'm back everyone, thanks for the long wait! I've been having a few renovations to help with at home, so i was preocuppied for a while, but now i'm back and i'm ready to get into speed! I've also been working on a new crossover story between Code Geass and Power Rangers, which i think i'll soon have the first chapter ready to go, so if you feel like it you can give it a read :). I've posted a poll about this fanfic on my profile page, so if you want you can check it out later. Anyway, hope this chapter proves worthy of the long wait!**

Chapter 36: Battle in Leanbox

Everyone arrived in Leanbox and were walking towards their destination.

Lelouch was with an annoyed expression the whole way, for he was dragged against his will and had to listen to Noire and Blanc's complaints on the way. Nepgear was strolling with her sister and Plutia was, well, being Plutia.

"Are you not having fun?" Asked the small violet haired girl.

Lelouch looked at the girl.

"Of course I'm having fun, it's pure bliss listening to complaints and walking." He said with a fake smile, causing the airheaded girl to believe him.

"Woooow, you are? I'm really happy that I get to be with everyone like this." Smiled the girl, causing Lelouch to feel slightly bad for deceiving her.

Neptune walked in on their conversation.

"Complaining again, are we?" She said, jumping on his back, nearly causing both of them to fall, but Lelouch managed to stabilize himself and now had the purple haired girl on his back.

Of course, he didn't take kindly to her actions.

"Neptune, if you don't want me to throw you, you will get off of me this instant." He said in a calm threatening voice.

"What are the two of you doing?" Asked Noire noticing their interactions.

"Stop fooling around already!" Said Blanc.

"Tch, fine." Neptune clicked her tongue and dropped from his back.

"Sis, you should stop teasing Lelouch." Said Nepgear.

The older Nep sibling received a glare from the dark haired boy.

On the side Plutia was looking at him with sparkling eyes, an idea having popped up in her head.

"Can you carry me on your back, too? Please, preeetty please." Asked Plutia with a smile on her face.

Lelouch was seriously starting to regret coming to this dimension. Neptune pulled him over for a minute.

"Hey, Lulu, buddy. I know you really feel like denying her, but please don't do anything to upset Plutie." Begged him Neptune with fear showing on her face.

Lelouch was confused.

"Ok, I guess." He replied, interested in the fact that Neptune was scared from the other girl.

He turned back to Plutia.

"Fine, I will carry you, but only till we reach the place where all of you will fight with Vert." He sighed, causing the smile on the violet haired girl to beam.

"Yaaay…" She cheered, as she climbed on his back and leaned on him.

She wasn't heavy, so there wasn't a problem with that. In fact, the only reason that Lelouch agreed to do this wasn't that he was scared of upsetting Plutia, but the fact that there was no one else around in these forests.

The girl was clearly enjoying her piggyback ride.

"Look guys… I'm much taller than all of you now…" She said happily, gaining the smiles of all of the girls and roll of the eyes from Lelouch.

After a while they stopped at some place.

"Hmm. Think this is the place Vert told us about?" Asked Neptune.

Lelouch dropped off Plutia, who wasn't exactly pleased that her fun time was over, but smiled in gratitude to the boy nonetheless.

"Telling you is probably useless, but did you even think of doing any kind of research beforehand?" sighed Noire.

"Nope!" Replied triumphantly Neptune.

"What's a re-search beforehand…?" Plutia was confused.

"I expected no other response." Noire sighed again.

"Um, well, I looked into it a bit… I believe this is the right place." Said Nepgear.

"That so? Good job, then. You saved us from more stupid walking around." Said Lelouch.

"Do you want to be my little sister? I'd welcome you with open arms." Noire told Nepgear, clearly full of Plutia and Neptune's stupidity.

"Huh?! G-Goodness, I don't know how I feel about that…" Panicked Nepgear.

"There's a faint energy coming from this place. Could that be the source of that woman's confidence?" Asked Blanc.

"Hmm? I don't feel aaaaanything…" Said Plutia.

"I agree! Nothing!" Added Neptune happily.

"Didn't expect you to." Lelouch thought to himself with disappointment almost showing on his face.

"I don't understand why you sound so happy about it." Sighed Blanc.

"It's fine, even if she gets stronger in this place, the six of us will beat her up real good." Continued Neptune.

"When you say things like that without sugar-coating it, we sound like we are being pretty villainous." Said Noire.

"If you let it bother you, you've already lost." Said Blanc.

"Excuse me, I'm sure that she meant 'five'. I'm not participating in this charade." Said Lelouch.

"Great support, Lulu." Mumbled Neptune.

They continued walking for a while, with Plutia pouting that Lelouch lied about carrying her all the way, until they reached the designated area. Across them stood Vert, prepared for battle.

"Oh, I see her! Heya! Sorry for the wait!" Said Neptune, as energetic as always.

"So you've come. Because you were running late, I had begun to think you all chickened out." Smirked Vert.

"Sorrrrry… I'm kinda slow at walking…" Apologized Plutia.

"We would've arrived sooner, if Lelouch had carried you." Pointed out Nepgear.

"Hey, why is it suddenly my fault?" Lelouch was agitated.

"We have no reason to fear you." Sneered Blanc at the blond woman.

"Weeell, actually, I have one. It's around the, uh, the boob area." Neptune didn't realize that the joke she made was gonna cost her.

"You wanna die first?" Threatened Blanc.

"Yikes, those eyes are for real. I'm sorry. Seriously this time." Apologized the scared Neptune.

"I know we've come all this way, but is it really necessary to force ourselves into a fight?" Asked Noire.

"Yes! This is a matter of pride!" Stated Vert.

"Hmph, like any of you know what it's like to have that." Lelouch groaned to himself.

"I will never be satisfied until I have proven that I am superior to you all!" Said Vert.

"Oh is that so? Just like Lowee's CPU, you older ones are such a pain." Groaned Noire.

"Blanc acted the same way?" Asked Nepgear.

"Uh-huuuuh… And then she lost to us and cried and it was soooo cute…" Said Plutia happily.

"Gaah! Don't bring that up!" Raged Blanc.

"Aww… I kinda wish I could've seen a crying Blanc…" Sighed Nepgear.

"No sense of tension, just as before. Playtime is over! It is time to fight!" Stated Vert, annoyed by the fact that she wasn't being taken seriously.

"Whoa, time out! Before we begin, would you happen to have any spare CPU Memories, Vert?" asked Neptune.

"Hmm? Well, yes, I have collected a few. Why do you ask?" Vert was confused.

"Ooh, I knew you'd camp for them! Could you give one to Nepgear? She just got here, so she's not a CPU yet." Said Neptune overjoyed.

"I… I'd be ever so grateful!" Nepgear bowed her head.

"Nepgear? Oh, I suppose your party has increased by one member." Said Vert, noticing the younger girl.

"Aww… so I really wasn't being counted before now..." Sighed Nepgear.

"I fail to understand the situation. Could you go into more detail?" asked Vert.

"Uh, okay. Well…" Neptune continued to explain the whole situation to Vert, with Plutia joining in on the explanation.

"Hmm, I see. She is your actual little sister, and you are both CPUs from another dimension." Nodded Vert after hearing the two's incomprehensible blabbering.

"She somehow understood them." Smirked Noire in defeat.

"Well, that's convenience for you." Sighed Lelouch.

"Hmm… Hmmmmm…" Vert scaled Nepgear.

"Wh-What is it? I get uncomfortable when people stare at me like that…" Said Nepgear.

"My, you're a cute one, aren't you? You might make the cut, Nepgear." Blushed Vert, causing Lelouch's mind to briefly go somewhere where it shouldn't.

"Huh? The cut?" Nepgear was confused.

"Wait. She just said something pretty suggestive, didn't she?" Noire was scared.

"Maybe she… swings that way?" Blanc got scared too.

"What way…? Where's the swingest…?" Asked Plutia, not following the conversation.

"No way. If she's like the Vert from my world, it's not possi-" Neptune stopped to think for a moment, making the goofiest face possible.

"Wait! It is possible! Gaah! Vert, are you serious?! Is Nep Jr. going to fall into your clutches?!" Neptune was terrified of her realization.

"Whaaaat?! I… I am?!" Nepgear panicked.

Lelouch face-palmed from the stupidity of the conversation.

"Would you refrain from letting your imagination get carried away? My feelings are strictly platonic." Vert felt insulted.

"Here, Nepgear. Because you are so adorable, I will give you this." Vert handed her a CPU Memory crystal.

"O-Okay. Thank you very much…" Nepgear was a bit nervous when she took the crystal.

"If you act so frightened, it will hurt my feelings. Now then, please feel free to use it right away." Vert said.

"You handed it over readily." Noticed Noire.

"She must be really confident. Or maybe she has another plan…" Blanc remarked.

"Oh, I know! You're gonna ask for her adorable bod in return, huh?! Did I nail it?!" Neptune panicked.

"Will you just shut up already!?" Lelouch said to the purple haired girl, starting to lose his patience.

"Quite persistent. I told you, I do not feel that way about her." Replied Vert, feeling insulted once more.

"Hurry up and transfooooorm, Neppy Jr.! I wanna see your cute HDD from…!" Said Plutia.

"O-Okay… Here I go…" Nepgear was surrounded by a flash of light and transformed.

"Whew! I did it!" Replied happily Nepgear/ Purple Sister.

"Awww! Soooo cute!" Plutia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm happy for you. If you failed, you'd have been turned into a hideous monster." Replied Blanc.

"She would?!" Lelouch was surprised, but then remembered that Histoire had once told him that those that are unworthy and come into the possession of a CPU's power are turned into monsters.

"What?! N-Nobody told me that!" Nepgear was shocked.

"Is she… okay? She won't turn into another wacked-out sadist or anything, right?" asked Noire scared, catching Lelouch's attention by her statement.

"Nah, she doesn't change much at all. Her charming sales point is that she's normal, even when in HDD." Replied Neptune.

"You are a CPU now, yes?" Vert asked Nepgear.

"Um, yes. Thanks to you. I'm very grateful." Replied Nepgear.

"No need to thank me. But because you used MY item…" Vert had a mischievous grin on her face.

"From this moment on, you are now MY little sister!" she proclaimed.

"Huh?" Nepgear was confused.

"Uh…" Neptune and Plutia were also confused, while Lelouch just let out another sigh.

"Those are the rules, I'm afraid. Nepgear, come along and fight by your big sister's side." Gloated Vert.

"I… I can't do that! What are you saying? My big sister is Neptune, and…" Nepgear panicked.

"Heck yeah! Nep Jr. is called that because she's my junior!" Protested Neptune.

"In your dimension, perhaps. But over here, CPUs born from a CPU Memory spawned from the same Memory Core must become sisters!" Proclaimed Vert.

"That's the biggest lie and most obvious lie I've ever heard." Lelouch thought to himself, walking over to a tree and lying in its shade.

"R-Really? Is that an official rule?" asked Noire, nervous.

"I have no idea. I've never heard of it happening before." Replied Blanc.

"Yeah, it's rare enough to get just one… But wait, does that mean Plutia and I are sisters…?" Noire started to daydream and blush.

"Oh, goooodie…! Neppy and I are sisterrrrrs…!" Said happily Plutia.

"So Plutie's my big sister now? Wow, it'd be kinda blushtastic to start calling her that…" Blushed Neptune.

"Hehehe… Yay, I have a little sister!" Plutia was overjoyed.

"W-Wait! You're forgetting me! I'm included in this, too!" Noire was feeling left out.

"Sorry, Noire. You definitely used one that the old fart found somewhere else." Joked Neptune.

"What?! I could say the same thing about the one you used!" Noire fired back.

"As supporting evidence, Neptune did stay in Planeptune while you went to form Lastation…" Added Blanc.

"Objection! That's pure conjecture! She'd rather have ME as her little sister, right Plutia?" Noire revolted.

"Hmm… I'm happier with you as my friend instead of a little sister…" Plutia pondered.

"R-Really? I mean, hearing that makes me happy, but also a little sad at the same time…" Noire was confused on which to decide.

"Wait! We should still be talking about Nep Jr., not each other!" Neptune tried the conversation back on track.

"Hmhmhm. While you were all having that silly little argument, look at what happened…" Vert smirked.

"Vert is my big sister. I am Vert's little sister now." Nepgear had decided that, somehow from all the confusion.

"Whoa, she's totally convinced now!" Said Noire.

"This stinks! Nep Jr.'s a total push-over, so if anyone pressures her to believe something, she'll cave!" Said Neptune panicking.

"Soooo… Neppy Jr.'s our enemy now?" Asked Plutia.

"Just get on with your stupid fight, already." Lelouch groaned.

The whole scene was painful for him to watch.

"Now it is two against four. Plus, this is my land, I have the homefield advantage." Stated Vert happily.

She transformed, making Lelouch notice that she had even less clothing than her Hyperdimension counterpart in 'certain' areas, also that her suit was black and green instead of white and green.

"We sisters shall be victorious!" Proclaimed Vert/ Green Heart.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry!" Nepgear apologized.

"The difference in numbers changes nothing. Besides…" Blanc also transformed, revealing herself to be in a white and red suit, rather than white and light blue. "Since the kid looks like she can hold her own, I don't have to hold back at all when I beat the snot outta ya!"

"*Sigh* I'm really with Lelouch on this one. I'd prefer not to fight over stupid reasons like this, but…" Noire also transformed, her HDD being in a grey suit rather than black.

"If I must, I'm going to give it all I got! Prepare yourself!" Proclaimed Black Heart.

"Gooodie, everyone transformed… Then… um, me too…!" Said Plutia, as she was surrounded by a flash of light.

There it came, the moment Lelouch had been interested to see, Plutia in her goddess form. He was curious to see what type of person she was and if her strength truly lived up to the fear that she caused among the other girls.

He was clearly taken aback when the light settled. His jaw nearly dropped, as in Plutia's place stood a tall dark blue haired woman with red eyes and a dominatrix outfit.

"Hmhmhmm… My sweet Neppy Jr..." The woman licked her lips, her stare intent on the young girl.

"Eep!... Um… P-Plutia?" Nepgear was terrified from hearing her name leave the woman's mouth.

"I've been waiting for this moment… My chance to play with you in this form…" Said the woman with a dark cheerful smile. "I will torment you quite thoroughly, my dearest Neppy Jr…"

"P-Please… go easy on me…" Nepgear was terrified.

Lelouch felt that dragging attention to himself right now was the worst possible thing to do, as he didn't want to deal with the troublesome woman, and decided to remain silent and observe the fight.

"Last time I only watched from afar, but as I thought, you will prove to be the most troublesome of the lot." Stated Vert.

Plutia turned her gaze to the green haired woman.

"Hmm? Vert, I'm sorry, but you're not my type. Go ahead and play with these other girls." She said, pointing to Blanc, Noire and Neptune.

"I take offense to that remark! I will defeat you myself!" Stated Vert.

"What an attention whore… I'll show you no mercy if you dare stand between me and my Neppy Jr.!" Said Plutia, then turned to Nepgear.

"As for you, my sweet, be a good girl and wait until I deal with this opponent." Smiled Plutia.

"O-Okay…" replied sheepishly Nepgear.

"Crap! Sadie's totally targeting my ex-sister! What should I do as her ex-big sister or whatever?" Neptune panicked.

"Transform, you frickin moron! We can't start until you do!" Yelled Blanc.

"If you aren't willing to fight, go sit next to Lelouch. You're in the way!" Said Noire.

"Aww, where's the empathy? Whatever, let's do this!" Neptune transformed.

"Since it's come to this, I've no choice. Grant your ex-sister the honor of sending you to your grave!" Stated Purple Heart.

"M-My grave?! I wasn't going to fight you to the death or anything…" Nepgear was nervous.

"Oi, do you want me to send you to your grave?" Asked Lelouch from the side, staring at Neptune, not appreciating the joke.

"Come on, I always wanted to say that." Said Purple Heart and then turned to Nepgear. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"Everyone's prepared. Now then… Witness the power of Leanbox's CPU, Green Heart!" Vert charged with her spear at the four goddesses.

They dodged out of her way.

"Is that all you've got?" Yelled Blanc, as she swung at her with her axe, but missed, as Vert hit her with her spear and sent her a few feet back.

"Too easy." Gloated Vert.

"Don't get cocky!" Noire descended from above with a vertical slash, but was parried by Vert's spear.

Plutia was just standing there, waiting like a predator stalking its prey.

Neptune and Nepgear clashed a few times, but the older Nep quickly disarmed the other and sent her to the ground and turned to help the others against Vert.

"Vert, I won't be holding back. Witness the power that I was taught to use! Purple Drive!" Neptune was surrounded by purple aura, gaining the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

"Mmm… My sweet Neppy, why have you been hiding such power from me? Do you want me to punish you?" Asked Plutia with a sadistic smile.

Neptune ignored her and charged at Vert, using the confusion to her advantage. Her sword clashed with Vert's spear and caused the ground beneath them to crack a little.

"Impressive, but not enough to win against me on my home-turf!" Proclaimed Vert, as she pushed Neptune away, failing to realize that Plutia was closing in dangerously fast.

Vert turned around to see her standing behind her.

"Are you happy that you have my attention now?" Smirked Plutia and hit Vert with her whip blade, sending her flying in the process.

Lelouch took note of her astounding physical strength and speed, intrigued by the fact that she wasn't even fighting at full power.

"Come on, we're not done yet! Fighting Viper!" Yelled the sadistic girl, as lightning started to flow through her weapon and started slashing through Vert.

Vert was lying on the ground in pain from the attack when Plutia walked up to her and started grinding her heel into her. She screamed in pain, which brought joy to Plutia.

"Yes, let me hear more!" She said, licking her lips.

Sadly, her attention waved off to the injured Nepgear and a smile grew on her face.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Neppy Jr." She said happily and charged at the little girl and kneed her in the stomach.

Nepgear got on the ground coughing from the hit.

"Owwy! I give up! I'm done!" She tried to surrender.

"No you aren't. Not yet. You betrayed us and lost… You have no right to complain about whatever happens to you…" Grinned Plutia.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! P-Please save me, Neptune!" Nepgear pleaded for help.

"Enough already, Plutie. She had no ill intentions." Neptune tried to reason with her.

"I'm well aware. That is why I simply must torment… I mean, comfort her." Blushed Plutia in anticipation.

"Torment! I heard you say it! You said torment!" Nepgear panicked.

"Ugh, to have taken this much damage, my body refuses to move…" Groaned Vert in pain.

"Heh. For having all that chest padding, you really have low endurance." Gloated Blanc.

"She held her own pretty well, but against the four of us, of course it ended up this way." Said Noire.

"Ooohhh…" Vert transformed back to normal.

"I don't like this! No, no, no! I'll never, ever accept this ending!" She started to cry like a spoiled child.

"She's bawling her eyes out… What a brat. Knock it off, it doesn't suit you." Said Blanc, surprised at the development.

"Wow. She reminds me of a certain someone's reaction when she lost against me." Smirked Noire.

"I wasn't acting like a spoiled little brat!" Blanc yelled.

"That was so unfair! If we all had one on one matches, I would've won! I demand a rematch!" Vert continued to cry.

"What the hell are you talking about? You're the one that picked a fight with us, knowing the conditions." Said Blanc.

"I don't know and I don't care! In any event, if I don't win, I don't want to play anymore!" Cried the blond.

"You know, my Vert also hates losing, but she isn't as rage-quittingly extreme as this." Pointed out Neptune.

"Hey, Neptune. What about your little sister?" asked Noire.

"I give up. It's best if she experiences the sheer terror known as Sadie at least once." Sighed Neptune.

On the side, Plutia was doing some very 'bad' things to Nepgear.

"Little Neppy Jr… Mmm… You're such a naughty girl to have so far as to fight us…" She said, delivering a spank.

"Nooooo! Please save meeee!" Screamed Nepgear.

Lelouch decided that he had enough of this farce and stood up.

"I hope you enjoyed your pointless activity, now let's-" He saw that no one was paying attention to him and got really irritated.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" He raised his voice, becoming the center of attention for everyone, as Vert stopped crying from fear and Plutia let go of Nepgear.

"You will keep your damn mouths shut and listen when I speak!" He said, anger showing on his face.

"Ooh? Trying to act manly, are we? I like that, it really turns me on." Said Plutia, as a sadistic smile formed on her face and started to walk towards him.

This time Noire and Blanc were keeping quiet, because they were seriously scared. Neptune realized where things were headed and attempted to fix the situation.

"C-Calm down, Plutie. Lelouch, please calm down as well." Neptune begged the both, who were now starting down each other.

Plutia's gaze was that of playfulness and sadism, while Lelouch's was full of anger.

"My dear Neppy. If you know what's good for you, you'll stand aside." Said Plutia, as she returned her gaze to the boy.

"Were you upset, because you didn't get your turn to play?" She joked, which only irritated Lelouch more.

"You know, I think it's time you realized how different the worlds that we live in are." Said Lelouch, as red aura started to seep from his body.

"Oh, this is bad. If Sadie fights with Lelouch when he's angry, things will get catastrophic!" Neptune panicked.

The others stood on the side as they watched the fight that was about to commence.

"By all means, 'enlighten' me." Mocked him Plutia, earning a grin from the boy, as a dark light surrounded him.

Lelouch was now in his HDD and opened his eyes, revealing the Geass in them. Plutia didn't seem to be scared, or at least didn't let on to that she was, and was rather genuinely intrigued.

"So… This is your transformed state." She said with her sadistic tone, as she looked at the dark haired man with black and red armor.

"I believe that I have not yet introduced myself. CPU Dark Heart, at your service." Grinned Lelouch, as his black sword appeared in his hand.

"My, how formal. CPU Iris Heart to you." Smirked Plutia, as she licked her lips and drew her whip blade.

Without another word, the two vanished and clashed their weapons a second later.

"You're holding up pretty good, for a woman." Smirked Lelouch, as he could feel that she was trying to push him back.

"You haven't seen nothing yet, pretty boy." Replied Plutia, as the two exited the clash, causing an aerial shockwave.

"Drive Stab." Iris Heart, lunged at him with her blade surrounded by electricity.

Lelouch's smirk only grew, as he slashed with his sword.

"Void Sever."

The two attacks collided, but it was clear which was stronger. Plutia's lightning attack was broken, while the shockwave from Lelouch's attack pushed her back.

"You are the first to push me back like this." Iris Heart blushed and smiled. "I might actually fall for you at this rate."

"Tch." Lelouch clicked his tongue, annoyed from the girl's personality.

"Is this for real!? He is fighting on par with Sadie!" Noire was shocked.

"No, he's a lot stronger than Sadie." Confirmed Neptune.

"Just who is he?" Asked Vert, having regained some of her composure.

"Don't know, but the aura he's emitting doesn't really help make him look like a cheerful character." Replied Blanc.

"Is that really Lelouch?" Nepgear didn't recall seeing that aura and was concerned for the male CPU.

Lelouch's grin was starting to slowly go into a maniacal smile, as he hadn't fought someone this strong since the Deity of Sin. He was emitting dark purple aura, which only added to his terrifying image.

Plutia seemed to be excited from that. That raw power of his was making her want to go wild. She was ecstatic.

"Let's go at it again." Said Plutia with a huge grin.

Lelouch, however, didn't reply as he had realized that he was starting to lose control. He raised his hand.

"No, this was enough." He said, trying to calm himself down, stopping the aura from flowing.

He felt it. At the rate things were going, he was going to end up using his power as Zero against Plutia, and that was something he didn't want to allow.

"Huh? Why stop?" Plutia was confused.

"Because I said so. We are done." Lelouch transformed back into his human form.

"Tch. Just when it was getting to the good part too." Complained Iris Heart, as she transformed back.

"Woooweee, you're very fun to play with, Lulu…" Said Plutia cheerfully.

Lelouch was stunned at how big the change of personality was, but decided to not bring it up.

"You were pretty good, as well." He smiled.

The others also transformed back and went over to them.

"Um, is everything ok now?" Asked Nepgear sheepishly.

"Whew, for a moment I thought that both of you were going to go nuts there." Neptune let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeeeeah, Lulu is very strong…" nodded happily Plutia.

"How strong exactly are you?" Noire asked the boy, wide eyed.

"I guess too strong for my taste." He replied, as he was still concerned that he had allowed himself to let loose like that.

Normally he didn't have a problem keeping the urge to destroy in, so what was it that made the difference this time? He was trying to think up the answer but was interrupted, as a few soldiers appeared.

"Great, what now?" sighed Blanc.

"What is it? I won't forgive you if it's something trivial!" Said Vert to the Leanbox soldiers.

"It's an emergency! Someone claiming to be one of the Seven Sages is destroying the city!" Said one of the soldiers.

"What's this? Destroying Leanbox?! What of our military forces?" Asked Vert, shocked.

"W-We're completely ineffective…" the soldiers looked at the ground in shame.

"Sounds about right. Normal people don't stand a chance against them." Said Noire.

"I cannot remain idle knowing this! I must hurry back and… ow!" Vert's wounds started to ache.

"You can't do anything in your current state. We beat you up pretty good, after all." Said Blanc.

"Looks like I have no choice again. I'll give you a hand." Said Noire.

"Huh? But…" Vert was surprised to hear that.

"I-It's not like I'm doing it for your sake or anything. It's just that…" Noire paused to think up an excuse. "if I save them in a cool manner, some of your citizens might become faithful followers of mine instead! That's all!"

"Yeah, that was a really long tsundere line, buddy." Neptune remarked cheerfully.

"If Noire's going, I wanna go, too…" Said Plutia.

"I've got a personal grudge against the Seven Sages, anyway. Count me in." Agreed Blanc.

"Destroying the city, are they? I'll crush those terrorists!" Lelouch sneered.

"Everyone…" Vert was happy that everyone was going to help her.

"Let's head to where the Seven Sages are running amok! Ready, go!" Neptune fired off.

"Goooo!" Added Plutia, as everyone ran off to the city.

"Um, wait, I can't run straight yet… D-Don't leave me behind!" Nepgear was trying to catch up to them.

* * *

 **Whew. I can't describe how refreshing it was to get back on the computer and write something, especially after it's been a while. Hope you guys enjoyed this action packed chapter. I have quite a lot of ideas for Iris Heart and Lelouch, but those are for later :D. SadiexLulu, though it will be more like SadiexZero, is confirmed in my book by the way, but don't expect the other girls to go down without a fight, even if it's against the terror Plutia XD. Next chapter the story will pick up its pace, so look forward to that. Once again, thank you for having me back and giving this story a go, i really appreciate everything you guys do :D. Hope you have an awesome day!**


	37. Anger and its two faces

**Well, this chapter took a while to finish. I actually postponed it, to make up a few things in it. I've reached the conclusion that it would probably be best to start adding more characters after VII's story. As for Suzaku and Ultra Lelouch, i have plans for them :D. Don't worry guys neither of them will steal Lelouch's girls from him(From the hyper dimension at least), hope that reassures you. Anyway, let's get on with the story!**

Chapter 37: Anger and its two faces

The CPUs were running for the city. When they arrived they could see the two members of the Seven Sages rampaging.

"Take that! I'll crush everything!" Arfoire destroyed everything that got in her sight.

"Well done, dear friend! I'll have to try even harder to keep up with you!" Encouraged her the robot next to her, as he was destroying stuff as well.

"Uuugggh." Arfoire leveled a small building next to her.

"Go, go! Ahh, doesn't it feel good to sweat in the company of friends?!" Yelled the giant robot, as Arfoire stopped in her tracks.

"Oh? Is something the matter, my dear friend Arfoire? You've stopped destroying." Copy-Paste was confused.

Arfoire had anger and irritation clearly written on her face.

"Because of you, you fool! Can't you stifle that disgusting new speech pattern you were given?!" Yelled Arfoire.

"Hahaha! I feel born anew! To think destroying things could be so refreshing, so… invigorating!" Replied the robot.

"Ahh, I'm so elated that I was given the opportunity to be born into the beautiful world of Gamindustri!" Exclaimed Copy-Paste, quite loudly.

"Dammit… it's that fool's fault…" Groaned Arfoire, cursing at Annonnydeath's tinkering.

"Like hell I'd be fine with this! He's become insufferable for an entirely different reason now!" complained Arfoire to no one in particular.

"Bwahaha! What's wrong, my treasured ally? Are you holding in some doom and gloom? Let it out!" continued to yell Copy-Paste. "Cast those negative emotions into something useful, like destroying! Come on, let's wreak havoc together!"

"Shut up! Shut up for all eternity!" Growled Arfoire.

The party of CPUs finally reached them.

"Whoa. This is quite a funky little situation." Said Neptune.

"They destroyed the city while putting on a nice comedy routine. In a way, that's very skilled." Remarked Blanc.

"I never imagined my city would fall under such absurd circumstances…" Vert was angry.

"Ah. They've arrived. Dammit, I think I actually felt relieved to see them. Better than being alone with this one." Arfoire mumbled to herself.

"Why, it's the little CPUs! Long time, no see, buddies!" Greeted them Copy-Paste, noticing two new faces among them.

"Oh! I believe I see new friends! That's wonderful! Friends should be treasured above all treasures!" Exclaimed the robot, causing Lelouch to get confused at the situation.

"Uh, didn't we blow this guy up? Not just that, but wasn't his personality a bit different before?" Asked Noire, who was also confused.

"I can experience the joy of facing you CPUs again, along with the excitement of global destruction!" Said happily the robot. "Ahhh, life is such a miracle!"

"Hoooray, life…!" Plutia was playing along, clapping to the robot.

"I told you to shut up! And don't you dare patronize him! *Pant, pant*" Arfoire yelled, having reached her limit.

"Ahem. We meet again, CPUs. I've been waiting for a chance to fight you all once more…!" Arfoire tried to do a proper introduction.

"Uh, about that, … I get that you wanna be taken seriously and all, but aren't you forcing it a bit?" Asked Neptune.

"Yes. Even I can tell it's a big waste of effort…" Added Nepgear.

"S-Silence! That is none of your concern!" Yelled Arfoire, angered at their remarks.

"Amazing, pal! You really know how to start things off with some cool and villainous dialogue!" Cheered for her Copy-Paste. "All right! I'll pull out my trump card, as well!"

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Arfoire made him quiet down.

She continued on with her efforts to make things into a proper conversation between enemies before a battle, while Lelouch stood on the side, feeling so disappointed that he might've attempted to kill himself on the spot.

"These are members of The Seven Sages? Hmph, what a joke." He sneered at them.

He gained the crowd's attention.

"I mean, you were made out to be a serious criminal organization, and yet here I stand, before two imbeciles who are causing chaos just because they feel like it. I'm really thinking over leaving this stupid fight." Lelouch continued his speech with an unamused expression.

"Come now, friend! You should learn to be more cheerful, you get to fight with your friends to your heart's content, and there's nothing better than that!" Said Copy-Paste.

"Yeeeah, this is so much fun…" Added Plutia.

"And who exactly do you think you are to talk like that, brat?!" Growled Arfoire.

"Neither of you are worthy of hearing my name." Lelouch said, looking intently at the woman.

For some reason he could feel a good portion of disgust in his body, when he was talking to the woman.

"I hope all of you are done with this farce." Vert said, as she transformed.

"You will pay for the damage you've caused to my city!" Stated Green Heart.

"Heeey, should we transform as well…?" Asked Plutia.

"May as well. No need to hold back. We'll end this in an instant!" Said Noire, as she and the rest of the girls transformed.

Lelouch decided that he didn't want to fight, as he was still somewhat worried over his self-control issues from the earlier fight with Plutia in her HDD.

Iris Heart noticed that he had no intention of fighting.

"My lovely Lulu, why won't you grace us with your participation in this fight?" Asked Plutia, leaning closer to him.

Lelouch quickly tried to pull back.

"Y-You're too close!" He said trying to back away.

This seemed to make things worse.

"Do you want me to get closer? Is that what you meant?" Smiled Iris Heart, as she was now almost touching him, enjoying the embarrassed look on the boy's face.

"G-Go and deal with your enemies over there! I-I'm not your concern!" Lelouch tried to protest, his face bright red.

"Oooh, if you make that face, I don't think I'll be able to hold myself back from tormenting you." Plutia licked her lips.

"What do you two idiots think you are doing!? This is a fight, not a date!" Yelled Arfoire, angry that the atmosphere was ruined once more.

"Plutie, that's enough. Let's return to the battle at hand, and leave Lelouch alone." Said Purple Heart.

"Tch. Don't worry, my sweetie. When I'm done with those two pests, you and I will get to enjoy ourselves." Iris Heart winked at him, as she went over to the others.

"That woman… I don't like her attitude…" Lelouch thought, as he could feel a chill run down his spine.

"You'll pay for your crimes in blood!" Vert charged at the two villains with her spear.

Copy-Paste tanked the hit, while Arfoire moved off to the side and threw an attack with her lance.

Her attack struck down Vert in her tracks, leaving her open for Copy-Paste to sledgehammer her.

Just as he was about to, Neptune rushed in.

"Vert, watch out!" She said, as she parried the robot with her sword.

"Oh, very nice save!" Encouraged the robot.

"Stop cheering for them, you idiot!" Yelled Arfoire, failing to realize that she was surrounded by the rest of the CPUs.

"Ahahaha!" Plutia laughed maniacally, as she hit her with a strong strike from her whip blade, sending Arfoire flying.

"MPBL Fire!" Nepgear shot an energy blast from her gun blade.

Arfoire managed to negate it, but found herself flanked by Blanc and Noire.

"We've got you now, bitch!" Yelled White Heart, as she swung her axe at her and hit her head on, while Noire slashed her with her longsword from behind.

Arfoire was sent to the ground a few feet to the side. Meanwhile Copy-Paste was receiving an onslaught by Neptune, Vert and Plutia.

Lelouch stood on the side and watched with a frown. He was seriously disappointed from their so called enemies. From what he had heard from the Histoire of this dimension they were quite the troublesome group. He could deal with both of them without having to transform.

"Graah!" Arfoire growled from receiving another hit from Noire and Blanc's combined attacks.

"Oh no! My dear friend Arfoire, I shall come to your aide!" Copy-Paste brushed off the other CPUs attacking him and went over to help his 'friend'.

Then a note struck inside Lelouch. Arfoire. That woman had the same name, as the woman who raised him and Celina, the woman who he considered a mother.

"How dare you…" He said under his breath.

"How dare you use that name in front of me!" He said through gritted teeth, the red aura appearing around him.

"All of you out of my way!" He said to the other CPUs, as he vanished and reappeared in front of Copy-Paste, delivering a kick which sent him flying.

"Oh, what made him snap now?" Neptune groaned.

"Great, as if Plutia's change of personality wasn't enough, now we have to deal with this guy's temper running loose." Complained Noire.

"Did you say something just now, Noire?" Asked Plutia with a dangerous smile.

"N-Nope!" replied Black Heart.

Lelouch was standing in front of Arfoire, who was looking at him with confusion and anger.

"Get up." He said with a cold expression.

"You?! How dare you look down on me!" Yelled Arfoire, as she charged at him with her lance.

Lelouch took out his sword from its sheath and activated the beam blade mode, cutting through Arfoire's weapon. The pieces flew off to the side, as Arfoire now stood unarmed before the boy.

He raised his sword to her neck.

"I'm giving you a choice. You will cease your rampaging and stop committing crimes, or you will die by my blade." He said with a serious expression, feeling some type of small will of good intention towards the woman before him.

"Ugh." Arfoire looked at him angrily, knowing full well that she was defeated.

"This is not over yet, my friend! Prepare yourself!" Said Copy-Paste, as he got back up, only to receive a killer glare from Lelouch, causing the robot to falter, as he felt something that machines rarely did, fear.

"My offer applies to both of you. I am willing to give you a second chance, you see." He said, his expression not loosening.

The girls were watching from the side. Neptune and Nepgear were happy that Lelouch hadn't gone straight to killing this time and was giving his enemy a chance. The others, of course, were puzzled by what was going on. Plutia, however, was somewhat displeased.

"No, this isn't like when we played earlier." Thought Iris Heart to herself in disappointment that the boy wasn't using his full power.

"I'm waiting for your answer. I don't have all day, you know." Lelouch said, thrusting his blade closer to Arfoire's neck.

Then it happened. An arrival that would shake up the situation and bring it to a whole new level.

"I finally found you." Came the voice of a young man, who appeared from nowhere.

He was looking at Arfoire and Copy-Paste with a displeased expression, but he frowned even more when he saw Lelouch holding them at swords length.

"Oh, crap, it's him! We got too caught up in this!" Said Arfoire realizing who the new arrival was.

"Oh, boy! I guess we are in for a real pummeling aren't we, my friend?" Asked Copy-Paste.

"Huh? Who's that?" the CPUs were shocked and confused to see the boy.

"I'd appreciate it if you lowered your weapon. I'll be taking things from here." Said the newly arrived boy to Lelouch.

This, of course, didn't exactly bring joy to Lelouch. He turned around to see who exactly had the guts to interrupt him.

The young man in front of him had curly brown hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a white and gold uniform and had two swords strapped on his back. He looked to be the same age as Lelouch.

"Sorry, I don't take orders from anyone." Replied Lelouch, as both clashed their gazes at each other.

"I'm going to say it only one more time. Back off." Said the boy, as one of his hands was slowly starting to reach for one of his swords.

"That was your last mistake." Said Lelouch, angry that he was interrupted.

He used his increased speed to catch the boy off guard and slashed at him. He was surprised when his opponent parried him with ease with one of his swords. Lelouch noticed that there was something strange about the sword. It was encased in a strange metal coating, which stood up to the energy beam of his own sword.

"What's your problem? Just go and find something else to do." Asked the brown haired young man, as both of them started to put more pressure into their attack.

"I could say the same thing to you." Replied Lelouch.

They exited the clash.

"This guy… He's no ordinary human…" both thought, as they tried to scale their opponent.

The CPUs were starting to grow weary from the confrontation. Both boys were emitting enough anger to make the air bitter to breathe.

"Hey, we must do something and stop those two." Said Noire.

"I agree. I do not know who that person is, but I believe it is for the best if we avoid a conflict right now." Said Neptune.

"Yes, if they fight now, they might cause more damage to the city than those two." Said Vert, looking at Arfoire and Copy-Paste.

Nepgear was really scared from the two boys, who were staring down each other, like two predators waiting for the first one to make a mistake.

Plutia was beaming for some reason. Her smile wouldn't leave her as she watched the two.

"Mmm… Oh, I just can't choose, which one's anger is more intoxicating to watch…" She was having some type of conflict with herself, when her sadistic smile returned.

"I'll simply have them both for myself." She grinned, causing Nepgear to shudder in fear.

The other three ignored her and were trying to think of a way to resolve the situation.

"We should get out of here, while we still can." Said Arfoire, as she looked at Copy-Paste who, strangely enough, nodded in silence.

"You're in my way. Stand aside." Said the brown haired boy, readying his sword.

"I'm really starting to get angry with your attitude." Replied Lelouch.

The two boys were done waiting, as they dashed again, clashing their swords once more, though this time the clash created a shockwave of wind. They then continued to exchange blows.

Arfoire and Copy-Paste used the chance and got away, while the two were fighting.

Neptune, along with Vert and Noire tried to break up the two, as they got in between them.

"Stop, that's enough!" Said Neptune, causing them to falter.

The newcomer looked around and noticed that his targets were gone.

"Damn it, I lost them thanks to you!" Cursed the boy, as he ran off in the direction that the two criminals had taken off into.

"Get back here! We're not done!" Lelouch said.

"I don't have the time to deal with you! I need to catch those two." Said the other boy, as he disappeared.

"Damn! Why is it, that always when I'm in the middle of something, someone decides to interrupt me?!" complained Lelouch, sheathing his blade, realizing that continuing things would be pointless.

He was angry at himself for not using his Geass and just make things go the way he wants them too.

"Aww, over already?" Iris Heart was disappointed.

Everyone turned back to normal.

"Lulu, what's wrong with you? You've been getting angry for quite some time now." Asked Neptune.

"Sorry, I just… seem to be not feeling so well." He apologized.

"I'll make tea, when we get back." Smiled Nepgear, relieved that Lelouch was no longer brimming with anger.

"Thanks." He smiled back.

"We lost those two idiots because of you and whoever that guy was." Said Noire.

"I guess it was alright, since I got to see something which normally only happens in books." Said Blanc, referring to the stand-off between Lelouch and the other boy.

"Well, in all honesty, I am glad that this is all over. I guess I owe you all for helping me." Smiled Vert.

"Yes, shower me in your gratitude." Joked Neptune.

"Why are you being so modest now?" asked Noire.

"It is basic etiquette to return kindness with equal kindness. I truly thank you." Said Vert.

"Hehehe… you're sooooo welcome…" Repliedd happily Plutia.

"Well that was anticlimactic. I thought you were going to start wailing about the rematch thing again." Blanc admitted.

"We will indeed have a rematch someday, though it will be without Lelouch being involved, but for now, I feel I must repay the debt I owe to you all first." Said Vert.

"Wow… Vert can look so gorgeous when she makes such a serious face." Said Nepgear.

Lelouch was really concerned about how this whole trip to another dimension was affecting him. He also felt bad about his lack of self-control. He bowed his head to all of the girls.

"I'm really sorry for acting like that in front of all of you." He said.

"Cheer up, no one's going to hold you blowing off some steam against ya. As long as I am not on the receiving end it's fine!" tried to reassure him Neptune with a joke.

"Well, considering the way you normally act, I guess it's natural for you to get angry so much. I mean, most of the time you are calm and collected, so one could guess how much you can take before the stress accumulates to a certain point that you can't take it anymore." Said Noire.

"Oooh, do you speak from experience, Noire?" Teased her Neptune.

"Thank you for being understanding with me." Lelouch smiled.

"Yeeeah, that's right… It's always better when someone smiles…" Said Plutia happily.

"Well, anyway, before I can repay my debt to all of you, I'll have to focus on my nation for a bit to fix the damages caused by the Seven Sages." Said Vert.

"I see you realized that you cannot defeat us with your current strength." Smirked Noire.

"I'm the type who prefers to be well-prepared for an assured victory." Calmly replied Vert.

"When next we fight, I'll have gained enough strength to beat you all with nothing than a toss of my hair." Smiled Vert.

"Talk is cheap." Replied cheerfully Blanc.

"Well, sounds to me like Vert's going to have her hands full for a while." Said Neptune.

"Goooodie! I'm so glad we all became friends…" added Plutia.

"This is sort of problematic… She's a bit too friendly with me…" Complained Nepgear.

"Yeah, I didn't know what to do, when you betrayed us out of the blue." Said Noire.

"Yeah, that was pretty bad Nep Jr. All that, after you said you loved me!" Neptune voiced her hurt feelings.

"Well, all's well that ends well, I guess." Said Lelouch.

"We're all heading back. Are you coming or not?" Smiled Blanc to Nepgear, as she and the others waved bye to Vert and were on their way.

"Things will not end like this. In the end, I shall hold victory in the palm of my hand!" Vert thought to herself.

After a few days, everything seemed to fly under the rug.

"So, you said some pretty cool stuff and all, but…" Neptune complained.

"Why do you come hang in Planeptune's Basilicom every day, Vert?" asked her Neptune.

"What other option do I have? Nepgear insists on living here, no matter what." Replied Vert with a weak smile.

"As her doting older sister, I'm simply granting her wish." She added, hugging Nepgear tightly.

"No, no… I'm already Neptune's little sister, so… Ooogh… Please don't squeeze me like this!" Nepgear tried to break free.

"I cannot grant that wish. I will not let you go for a single moment." Smiled Vert.

"Hey! If you can't let her go, then I'll have to get in on this hugging action!" retorted Neptune, as she too hugged Nepgear.

"Owww! Th-The pain… Please, it hurts, so stop… please…." Nepgear was desperately trying to break free.

From the side the other three girls were talking about something while Lelouch was looking after the kids.

He gave a quick glance towards Nepgear and let out a sigh.

"This routine is really becoming annoying." He said.

The babies seemed to enjoy Nepgear's suffering, as they all went to squeeze her as well.

"Urrgh… I can't breathe…" Nepgear was going to suffocate.

"Neppy Jr. is soooo popular… That's nice…" Said happily Plutia.

"Don't look so jealous. After all, you… Y'know…" Noire was embarrassed to voice her thoughts.

"'After all, you have me, Plutia.'?" guessed Vert.

"Ack! Don't steal my…" Noire stopped herself.

"Steal your what? What were you going to say?" Asked Blanc, enjoying teasing the tsundere.

"Grrr! Why, you…!" Noire was embarrassed.

"Heeey, stop fighting all the time…" Plutia tried to break them up.

Histoire came in the room, wanting to join the conversation.

"Pardon me, Vert." Said the oracle.

"My records say nothing about two girls becoming sisters if they use CPU Memories from the same Memory Core." Explained Histoire.

"Thought so." Lelouch said.

"Oh, is that so? But it's a rule that my nation has accepted for many years." Said Vert, happily.

"A lie is still a lie, no?" sighed Histoire.

"Well, there are a lot of ways to look at it, but yes, in this case I second your opinion." Added Lelouch.

"Hmhmhm. The truth is in the eye of the beholder, I say." Stated Vert proudly.

"I see. However…" Histoire looked at Nepgear, who was being hugged by Vert.

"Vert, really now, let me go… Ugh, but they're so soft and it's starting to feel warm and cozy…" Nepgear was slowly stopping her protests.

"Neptune's acted so cold and leaves me behind all the time, so maybe I can let Vert be my new sister…" Said Nepgear, allowing herself to be spoiled by Vert.

"NO! Pull yourself together! No fair, Vert! Don't use those two flesh pillows to tempt my sister!" Protested Neptune.

On the side, Noire was beginning to yell.

"Try fixing your lousy personality! Ugh! I'm not going to put up with it anymore!" Said Noire, her argument with Blanc continuing.

"Who wants to hear that from the girl with a twisted, contrary personality?!" Sneered at her Blanc.

"Ummm, if you two don't stop…" Plutia was starting to get angry.

"Huh? Oh, no! I'm sorry, really!" Noire apologized frantically, noticing where things were going.

"I'm sorry! I was out of line!" Blanc apologized as well.

Lelouch and Histoire were watching the girls' daily routine.

"It is nice that things are so lively. This has become a real gathering place for the CPUs…" Said Histoire.

"Are you sure? This way none of them will spend time to do their work." Said Lelouch, crossing his arms.

"*Sigh* You're probably right." Said Histoire, somewhat disappointed.

Lelouch, however, had something more important on his mind. He was thinking about his recent lack of self-control and the encounter with the strange boy.

"He seemed to be chasing after the Seven Sages, but… Who is he? He was certainly way above the average human in terms of skill and physical prowess." Lelouch thought.

"And what about you? Do you find all of this amusing? Are you enjoying yourself, Zero?!" the dark haired boy thought, angered, though he didn't receive an answer.

* * *

 **Things became a little too hectic in this chapter, i guess. I was having mixed opinions about making Lelouch have some personal grudges with the Seven Sages, but i guess i reached a consensus on my part. After all, I'm going to be using the Seven Sages as a way of confronting Lelouch and the person targeting the sages(Seriously, if you don't know who he is by now, i don't know what to say XD). You may have noticed that i've pushed Plutia's character a little too much(that's all for a future arc i'm planning to make after Rebirth3's story), though if you think that i shouldn't have done so or have some other ideas i'd be glad to hear them. Anyway, i guess this is all i had to get off my chest. Thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day :D!**


	38. Brewing trouble

**Whew, i apologize for the delay of this chapter, but my laziness has started to kick in. Hope you guys find it in you to forgive me :D. Anyway, please enjoy.**

Chapter 38: Brewing trouble

In the Hyper dimension, Rom and Ram were out patrolling in Lowee to keep things in check.

"Patrol, patrol, patrolling with Rom! Yay, us!" Ram was humming.

"Ram… Don't be so loud…" Rom told her twin.

"Who cares? We're doing good things, so we gotta be confident and do good things at max volume!" Replied happily Ram.

"But everyone's looking at us… It's so embarrassing…" Said Rom.

"Meh, c'mon! You can't say that kinda stuff forever!" Replied Ram.

"We'll be sweet CPUs eventually, so you gotta get used to being looked at by your people, y'know!" Added Ram.

"B-But…" Rom was a little frightened.

The people were looking at them with frowning expressions.

"CPU, huh…?" One of them wondered.

"These kids… are CPUs?" added another.

"So they said. In that case…" Another one joined.

The people surrounded the twins.

"Huh? Wh-What's happening…?" Rom was scared.

"Oh, I get it. It's a shock to see such adorable CPUs walking around the city, huh?" Said Ram cheerfully.

"Hehehe. Okay, if you say you're gonna put your faith in us, then…" Ram was cut off.

"CPUs… are not needed!" Yelled one of the people, causing Rom and Ram to get startled.

"Because CPUs exist, the world is in such misery!" Yelled another.

"Yeah! If only you were all gone…!" Yelled a third one.

"Huh? What's up with these dummies?" Ram was confused.

"Th-They must be part of the Citizen Group…" replied Rom.

"They kinda have scary eyes… Why? Aren't CPUs something they should wanna believe in?" Asked Ram, nervously.

"But this group of people is opposed to CPUs, so…" Rom was frightened.

"Catch them! Catch those rotten CPUs!" Yelled one of the people, as everyone charged at the two girls.

"Uh-oh! What should we do?" Asked Ram, terrified.

"L-Let's run…" Suggested Rom.

"Y-Yeah, duh! C'mon, we gotta go!" Ram grabbed her sister's hand and ran off.

After they ran for a while, the two girls stopped to catch their breath.

"*Pant, pant* We… We shook them off…" Said Ram, exhausted.

"*Sniff, hic* Waaah…" Rom was starting to cry.

"Don't cry, Rom…" Ram tried to reassure her sister.

"But… it was really scary…" Rom cried. (Oof, what kind of asshole do you have to be to try to beat up kids? I get the part about the people being brainwashed, but that's just wrong. Sorry for the interruption)

"I was scared and wanted to cry too, but I'm being tough and holding it in!" Said Ram, tearing up as well.

Rom continued to cry.

"I just said not to do that… ugh… *sniff* Now I'm gonna cry… What was their problem?!" Ram was about to cry as well. (There will be off-screen death for those people, just putting it out there XD)

Back in the Ultradimension, the Seven Sages were having a meeting.

"You took this last joke too far! Thanks to your ridiculous tinkering…" Arfoire yelled at Anonydeath.

"Golly, I said I'm sorry, honey! I thought you were into the type of man who acts more light-hearted." Said the hacker.

"I had no idea you were so in love with the previous version of Copy." Added the armored man(?).

"Who the hell was in love?!" Raged Arfoire.

"You have poor taste in men." Said Mr. Badd.

"That's not the only thing she's bad at, chu." Added Warechu.

"You'll never get married at this rate. You'll be a poor old spinster!" Told her Abnes, concerned for her colleague.

"The peanut gallery can shut up! If you intended to repair him, why not just make him normal?!" Said Arfoire.

"Being normal is so boring." Simply replied Anonydeath.

"This had nothing to do with your idea of boredom or excitement!" Yelled Arfoire.

"Come now! Stop, my dear friends! Fighting doesn't strengthen bonds of friendship!" Copy-Paste tried to break them up. (Strange how in a good part of the anime world, fighting is one of the main ways to make friends XD)

"Since we are bound together by the hot threads of friendship, we must hold hands and unite at all times!" Continued the giant robot.

"Stop saying such creepy things!" Said Arfoire.

"Um, everyone, I think you're all missing a major issue here." Rei decided to take part in the conversation.

"What is it now?!" Growled Arfoire.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Apologized Rei.

"Don't vent on my darling Rei. Poor thing…" The hacker put his words in the matter.

"What is it, chump?" asked the rat.

"Well, Arfoire and Copy-Paste said that they encountered 'that' person. Why aren't any of you worried?!" Said Rei, panicking.

"Oh, that issue. As long as we keep him running around and conflicting with the CPUs, everything will be fine." Hummed Anonydeath.

"Yeah, there was this stuck up brat alongside the CPUs, who seemed to give him a run for his money." Said Arfoire.

"What?! Someone confronted him?! Impossible, none of the CPUs should be able to even stand up to him!" Rei panicked even more.

"Ah, yes. It was an intense stare-down. Just remembering it makes my oil boil!" Said Copy-Paste.

"Hmm? Who is this 'brat' that you are talking about, Arfie? For someone to be able to stand a chance against him is quite peculiar." Anonydeath's interest was pecked.

"How the hell should I know?! It was a dark haired boy dressed in black and gold. He didn't transform, so I don't think he's a CPU." Said Arfoire.

"Still, his attacks were something else! I took just one kick from him and was sent flying, haha! How joyous it is to find stronger people!" Added Copy-Paste.

"How did the CPUs get such a powerful ally?" asked Mr. Badd.

"Well, this certainly makes things more interesting." Mused Anonydeath.

"In what way does the situation sound interesting?! It's horrible!" Rei continued to panic.

"Oh, screw this! You're all dragging me down. I don't wanna work here anymore!" Abnes threw a fit and left.

"A-Abnes? W-Wait, the meeting's not over yet…" Rei was unable to stop her.

"Let her go. If she stays, things will remain loud and irritating." Said the old businessman.

"It sucks that she goes into mad hysterics even though she's just a kid, chu." Said the rat.

"Abby is quite old, actually. She just looks like a child." Pointed out Anonydeath.

"With her gone, could you all give what I have to say a listen?" Asked the hacker.

"What? Out with it." Said Arfoire.

"If I may be quite serious, we are in quite the pinch, just like little Rei said. If we wish to turn the tables, we have to take drastic measures." Explained the hacker.

"The decisive move, huh?! Yeah! That's SO AWESOME! What a hot-blooded development!" Yelled cheerfully Copy-Paste.

"Why does everyone always hang on every word Anonydeath says?" asked Rei.

"It's not that we listen to him. It's more that we don't like to hear what a middle-aged woman has to say, chu." Replied Warechu.

"P-Please don't say something so absolutely cruel!" Protested Rei, feeling hurt.

"Okay, enough gossiping over there. Allow me to go into specifics…" Anonydeath explained his plan to his colleagues.

"I see. I can actually throw myself in an actual combat situation… Hahahaha…" Chuckled Mr. Badd.

"Hmph. I get such a boring role." Complained Arfoire.

"Ugh. I'm with the old hag again? I got nothin' but bad feelings about this one, chu…" Warechu was down in the dumps.

"Leave it to me, buddy boy! I plan to exceed your expectations!" Replied energetically Copy-Paste.

"U-Um…" Rei was hesitant.

"Hmm? What is it, Rei?" Asked Anonydeath.

"Are we going to do THAT, too?" Asked Rei with a sad expression.

"We can't exactly pull out now. We've passed the point of no return, haven't we?" Consoled her the hacker.

"Th-That's true, but still…" Rei was still unsure.

"It's decided then. As soon as everyone is prepared, we will act. Make sure Abby doesn't hear of this." Said Anonydeath, concluding the meeting.

Rei was still not pleased with how everything was going to proceed, but just sighed and kept to herself.

Back in Planeptune's Basilicom, a few years have passed since the incident in Leanbox (A few days in Hyperdimension, god this timeline is practically killing me for trying to figure it out!) and the babies had grown into little girls.

"Taaake this! Cat punch!" Said Peashy, as she swung at Neptune, who barely dodged.

"Ouch! Hey, that's dangerous! You're pretty tough for a kid, but I'm gonna outlast you!" Stated Neptune.

"Peashy, beat up Nep!" Cheered for her IF.

"Do your bestest,Nep-Nep!" Compa cheered for the purple haired girl.

"Neppy, you better not make her cry…" Warned her Plutia.

"Playing with children, as usual." Sighed Noire.

"Hahaha… Neptune's secret skill is that she's able to get along with absolutely anyone." Said happily Nepgear.

"Hmph." Lelouch shrugged.

"The kids have gotten big." Pointed out Blanc happily.

"Yes, they grow up so fast. I am no longer able to keep up with them." Said nervously Histoire.

"They are quite adorable. To think that I was once a child…" Vert mused.

"You were little, Vert? Hehehe, yeeeeah riiight…" Laughed happily Plutia.

"What?! Do you not believe me?" Vert was shocked.

"It's amazing how you never get bored of sneaking over here." Said Noire.

"OF course. I come to see my cute little sister. Come, Nepgear. Let me get a good look at you." Smiled Vert, as she hugged the girl.

"Eep! Goodness, again with the hugs!" Nepgear panicked, as she tried to break free.

"Jeez. Everyone's so carefree, ignoring their duties as a CPU." Sighed Noire.

"Speak for yourself. I'm stuck carrying the load of three on my shoulders." Complained Lelouch.

"That and you're not one to talk. You come here all the time just to see Plutia." Added Blanc.

"Sh-Shut up, you do the same!" retorted Noire, embarrassed.

"Um, everyone, please get to work… Ohh, saying such things falls on deaf ears…" Sighed Histoire.

"Don't expect me to cover for anyone else. I have enough on my plate as it is." Said Lelouch.

"Yes, I'm aware. Thank you for all your hard work, Lelouch. Your Histoire is very fortunate to have a CPU such as yourself to work with." Smiled at him the miniature oracle.

"Hmph, well, as long as they are happy, I don't mind working a little extra." Smiled Lelouch.

Neptune finished playing with the kids.

"Phew. I'm tuckered out, kids. That tyke's really leveled up… I can't be careless anymore." Said Neptune as she slumped on the couch.

"Hey, wait! Nepgear, stop getting hypnotized by the inappropriate power of Vert's hugging!" Neptune noticed that her sibling was once again being taken from her.

"Hmhmhm. An affectionate embrace like this is not possible for someone of your size." Chuckled Vert.

"Grrrr!" Neptune felt antagonized.

"Neppy Jr. is sooo lucky… Noire, squeeze me like that too…" Said Plutia happily.

"Huh? N-No! I couldn't possibly do something that embarrassing…" denied her Noire.

"Oh, okay. Theeeen, Blanny?" Plutia turned her request to Blanc.

"I don't mind. I welcome the chance." Replied Blanc.

"Yaaaay…! Squeeze me, Blanny…!" Plutia was overjoyed, as Blanc hugged her.

"My squeezing… will only supply a moderate softness…" Admitted Blanc, embarrassed.

"Urrrghh…" Noire was about to tear up, feeling left out.

Blanc smirked at her.

"Wh-Why are you smirking at me like that?!" Noire replied, angered.

"Heh." Blanc smirked again.

"Grr, you're pissing me off! Stop smirking! Stop making that face!" Noire started throwing a fit.

Lelouch had taken out a book and was reading it, feeling that the girls' antics weren't to his liking at the moment.

"Um, everyone…?" Mini Histoire tried to gain their attention.

"What's up?" Asked Neptune.

"Little children… want to imitate… what they see adults doing… This is not good for them…" Said the oracle, frightened, as the kids closed in around her.

"Let's squeeze Histoire!" Said IF, as all of the girls hugged her.

"It hurts…! I beg of you, do not hug me any tighter than this!" Histoire started to cough in pain.

Lelouch sighed and went over to the children.

"Alright, that's enough playing around for now." He said, as the girls let go of the oracle and turned to him.

"Eeeh? But we wanna play more." Complained Peashy.

"Play with us, Lelouch!" Demanded IF.

"Let's squeeze, Lu-Lu!" Said happily Compa, as the kids hugged him with all their strength.

Lelouch decided to allow them to have things their way for now.

"You know, if Lulu was a girl, he'd make a great mom." Said Neptune.

"That's true." Agreed Nepgear.

"I heard that!" He raised his voice.

"If it wasn't for Lelouch, the kids would grow up without any type of discipline. This all stems from you all shunning your duties!" Said Histoire.

"Aw, c'mon. That sounds like you're trying really hard to blame us for something." Complained Neptune.

"Uh-huh, you're trying too hard… I always work sooooo much…" Said Plutia.

"Plutia never works." Stated IF.

"She loves naps!" Said Peashy.

"She naps with us all day!" Added Compa.

"Awwwww! That was supposed to be our little secret…" Plutia panicked.

"How, when you sleep with them and we always see you?" Lelouch couldn't comprehend what was happening in the girl's mind.

"Secret or not, I bear witness to it every single day…" Sighed Plutia.

"You're a hopeless one, Plutie. I mean, mocked by children? Me, on the other hand…!" Neptune was cut off.

"Nep is a stupid CPU." Said IF.

"Stu-PU." Added Compa.

"Stu-PU! Neptuna is a Stu-PU!" Peashy continued.

"I believe it is painfully clear what the kids think of you." Lelouch chuckled.

"What's this? A Stu-PU, am I!?" Neptune was shocked.

"Heh, Stu-PU." Noire laughed at the purple haired girl's new title.

"An apt descriptor." Agreed Blanc.

"Children are honest to a fault." Smiled Vert.

"H-Hey, you little troublemakers! Where'd you learn a phrase like that?!" Neptune furious.

"Gear said it first." Said IF.

"Ge-GE taught it to us." Agreed Compa.

"H-Huh? N-No, I didn't!" Nepgear protested.

"Nep Jr., huh…?" Neptune was shocked.

"I really didn't! Um, well, I may have said that stupid CPUs are called Stu-Pus, but it wasn't about you…" Nepgear tried to explain herself.

"She said Neptuna's stupid and cute!" Said Peashy.

"Th-That I did say, yes. But I didn't mean it in a bad way!" Nepgear tried to argue her case.

"Oh, my lovely Nep Jr… I trusted you! Why have you forsaken me?!" Neptune whined.

"It's a big misunderstanding, sis! I promise!" Nepgear desperately tried to calm down Neptune.

"So basically, Both Neptune and you are being made fun of by children." Noire said to Plutia.

"Awww…" Plutia was down in the dumps.

"Oh well, I had thought that when Nepgear and Lelouch arrived, Planeptune might become something, but… nope." Said Noire.

"That just means that Lastation will stay rock solid on top, though." Noire smirked.

"Keep up that arrogant attitude and the rug will be swept under you." Said Vert, as she and Blanc became angry at the tsundere.

"I'd welcome the challenge. But as it is, nobody stands a chance." Gloated Noire.

"Noire's been getting sooooooo mean lately…" Said Plutia.

Lelouch sat at a chair on the table and was sipping from the tea that he had made for himself.

"If I had full authority over this nation, I could crush you in five days. Not to mention the fact that you are inferior to me in every way imaginable." He stated, taking a sip from his tea. (Classy as hell)

"Wh-Why don't you prove it then?!" Replied Noire, her pride hurt.

"No, no, no, no! Lulu's not making this place into a military training camp!" Neptune rejected the idea.

"It would be wonderful if you became the CPU of Planeptune." Histoire was onboard for the dictatorship.

"If I took charge of things, none of you, except Histoire, would be able to keep up with me." He smirked.

"Ugh, there he goes gloating again." Blanc rolled her eyes.

"There is a thing known as humbleness. Have you heard of it?" Asked Vert, receiving a disinterested shrug from the dark haired boy.

"Well, Lulu's huge ego aside…" Neptune was cut off by a phone ringing.

"The Basilicom's land line? How rare." Histoire was surprised.

"I'll answer it. Hello, you've reached Planeptune's Basilicom…Yes… Yes, she's here, but…" Nepgear put the phone to the side.

"Noire, it's from your Basilicom." She said.

"Really? I wonder what happened. Hello, Noire speaking. I told you I took a day off. So… huh?" Noire took the call.

"The nation's online network is down!? How? Wh-What?! We were hacked?!" Noire was shocked from the news she received.

"Just… Just wait, okay? Um… I'm on my way!" Noire ended the call.

"It's an emergency, everyone! Lastation has…" Noire's panicking was cut off.

"Oh, my. The rug was ripped out from under you rather quick." Smirked Vert.

"Rock solid doesn't mean what it used to, I guess." Gloated Blanc.

"Th-This is no time to rub it in! It has to be the Seven Sages' doing!" Noire said.

"The haughty Noire is a constant in this world of variables. 'Tis akin to a dream on a midsummer's night…" Neptune tried to sound poetic.

"Wow, you sound soooo sophisticated, Neppy…!" Plutia was impressed.

"'Lord, what fools these mortals be!'/ 'And yet to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.'" Lelouch cited Shakespeare's work.

"Bravoooo." Plutia clapped to his performance.

"C-Come on…! Ugh, fine! I can handle a tiny problem like this just fine all by myself!" Said Noire, as she took off, upset that no one wanted to help her.

"Noire! Um, is it okay to let her go?" Asked Nepgear.

"Maybe we teased her a bit too much. I forgot that she can dish it out, but she can't eat it or whatever." Said Neptune.

"It serves her right." Said Blanc.

"Agreed. That girl needs to go through a painful experience." Added Vert.

"Aren't you just full of compassion?" Sarcastically remarked Lelouch.

Then the phone rang again.

"Again? Um, hello?" Nepgear picked up the call.

"How rare. Our phone usually gathers dust, so this i- abababababa!" Histoire started to vibrate.

"Now my internal phone rings? Whatever could it be?" the oracle was troubled.

"Is this the pattern that our franchise always goes through? I have a funky feeling about this." Said Neptune.

"Stop breaking the 4th wall." Lelouch looked at her with an unamused expression.

"Yes, I understand. Um, Blanc! Someone's apparently running amok in Lowee's Basilicom!" Nepgear reported.

"What?!" Blanc was shocked.

"Understood. I will let her know. Vert, it seems some strange monsters have appeared inside Leanbox!" Said Histoire.

"What did you say?!" Vert was surprised to hear that.

"Welp. Called it." Neptune said, receiving a smack on the head from Lelouch.

"Ouch!" she held the spot which he hit.

"Your bad feeling was spot on, Neppy…" said Plutia surprised.

"Still haven't learned, have they? I'll make it crystal clear this time!" said an outraged Blanc.

"I cannot believe my city has been subjected to a raid not once, but twice. I cannot remain here!" Vert said worried.

Both girls took off.

"Oh, okay. Bye-bye, everyone! Be caaaaaaareful…" Plutia waved at them.

"Wow, they all cleared out real fast. Maybe now things will quiet down." Said Neptune.

"Nep! Why you still talking?" Asked her IF.

"I'm booooored…" Said Compa.

"Let's keep playing! More!" Demanded Peashy.

"So much for the quiet bit… I mean, kids and stuff. Okay, let's get back to playing!" Neptune surrendered.

"Yay! Come at me!" Said peashy happily.

"Um, is it okay for us to just… play around… right now?" asked Nepgear.

"Nepgear is right. This is clearly a large-scale attack by the Seven Sages. Planeptune may even be next." Said Histoire.

"Highly unlikely. I doubt they have enough forces to attack four nations at once. Besides, their attacks aren't something that can't be taken care of with ease." Said Lelouch.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. We're the smallest nation, so they'll ignore us." Said Neptune, receiving sighs from Lelouch and Histoire.

"Being small is sooooo nice…" Added Plutia happily.

"That's not something a CPU should be happy about." Said Nepgear, a little depressed from the two's behavior.

"Even if Planeptune is not in danger, this is no time to play around!" Said the oracle.

"I recommend you go out and assist the other CPUs." Suggested Histoire.

"Bawww, why?! It's cool, Mini-Histy. They can handle it themselves." Protested Neptune.

"I agree. It's not in our interest, neither is it our problem, to help them out." Said Lelouch.

"Are you suuuuure? They can be kind of reckless when they're aaaaaall alone…" Said Plutia.

"Even Plutia disagrees with you two." Said Nepgear.

"Hmm, yeah, that does make me wonder." Replied Neptune. "All righty, then! In the end, everyone needs me around to keep them safe."

"Well, if you are going to be helping them out, I'll be bidding you a 'have a nice time'. I plan to sit back and relax for a while." Lelouch said.

"Why are you always so stubborn about helping when things come to fighting? You could act more understanding you know." Said Neptune, not liking his behavior.

"The three of them may not bring me enough peace of mind. So, Lelouch, please." Asked him the oracle.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Fine, I'll go. Look after the Basilicom while we're out." He said, putting on his black and gold coat, which he had hanged on a hanger.

"Nep-Nep, you're leaving?" asked a sad Compa.

"Yeah, sorry and all that. We'll play for a long time when I get back. Histy, look after the tiny ones!" Said Neptune.

"Bye-Byeeeee!" Plutia waved at them, as everyone left.

"Stupid! What's up with Nep?" Complained IF.

"Boo! Whatever! Histoire's gonna play with us now!" Said Peashy.

"Hmm? Wait, please. It is impossible for my body to withstand an attack from you Peashy…" Histoire's begging fell on deaf ears.

"Secret skill! Pea Punch!" Peashy struck at the oracle.

"Ahhh! Ow, ow, ow! Please stop!" Begged Histoire.

Unknown to them, they were being watched.

"Chu, chu, chu…" came a rat's voice.

* * *

 **Alright, with this, the next couple of chapters will be action packed! There are some things that i'm still working out in my head,(Mainly how i'm going to go about each nation's crisis) but i think that i'll be able to make Lelouch's interactions with the Seven Sages interesting. And as for the part of Anonydeath's scheme for Planeptune, i have something special planned for it, so look forward to that :). Anyway, once again sorry for the delayed post, and thank you for reading. Have a nice day!**


	39. Action in Lowee

**Ok, so this chapter was supposed to be finished quite earlier, but what can i say, there were a few things that ate up my time XD. I recently got back into Warframe and finished the new quest and am now farming for some prime stuff(Great free to play game by the way, highly recommend if the grinding doesn't bother you). Today i also learned to play "Requiem for a dream" on the piano, so i'm kinda hyped up from all that :D. Anyway, enough of my excuses for pulling back on my writing, on with the story!**

Chapter 39: Action in Lowee and some news

The four CPUs arrived in Lowee's Basilicom. There they found Blanc along with some construction workers.

"Lady Blanc, we've finished repairs for each floor's support beams." Said one of the builders.

"Good. Don't bother with the building's interior right now. Prioritize reinforcing the building's structure." Said Blanc.

"Understood!" Replied the men.

"Blanny, we've come to help…!" Said Plutia.

"Wow, it's more peaceful than I thought it was going to be. I was ready for a sea of blood and other such imagery." Said Neptune.

"Well, Neptune's idiocity aside, what's the situation?" Asked Lelouch.

"As you can see the Basilicom's been repaired. Damages turned out to be minor." Replied Blanc.

"Which means you've already resolved everything on your own?" Asked Nepgear.

"Wow, you're soooooo amazing…!" Plutia was amazed.

"No, I haven't done anything. Actually, it was…" Blanc prooceded to explain to them how Copy-Paste was wrecking the building, but got a change of heart and was now helping out in the mines.

"Apparently that's how it happened." Finished Blanc.

"That's… really something…" Nepgear wasn't sure if she was confused or surprised.

"Baaaahahaha! What a numbskull! Folks that dumb sure are a rarity!" Neptune was laughing her ass off.

"You aren't exactly one to talk." Lelouch pointed out.

"So, ever since that happened, he's been working for you here…?" Asked Plutia.

"Yeah. Guards are watching over him just in case, but it sounds like we're mining at a tremendous pace." Replied Lowee's CPU. "Every tool has its use, as they say."

"Well, it looks like we went to the trouble of coming over for nothing. Come on, let's go back, we aren't of use here." Said Lelouch.

"Not true. I was planning to go pay that idiot back for destroying my Basilicom. You're free to join me." Said Blanc, her expression darkening.

"Whoa, it's rare to get a party invite from Blanc! I wanna go!" Replied Neptune, hyped.

"I wanna go, tooooo…!" Added Plutia.

"It's decided then. We'll gang up on him and break him down into his base components!" Growled Blanc.

"I don't really see a problem with the robot helping out with mining, but since you're so intent on getting revenge, I might as well tag along." Sighed Lelouch.

"Ooh, that was a nice tsundere line, Lulu! Keep up this pace and you might pass Noire." Joked Neptune, receiving a glare from the boy, as everyone headed towards the mines.

They arrived to see Copy-Paste busting rocks like there's no tomorrow.

"Hyaaah! Ok, let's get one more!" He said energetically, as he crushed another rock.

"Whoa! As powerful as ever I see! How about this rock over here?" One of the miners was astonished at his work and directed him at another rock.

"Sure thing bud, leave it to me! Hyaaah!" Copy-Paste replied cheerfully as he crushed the rock.

"Thanks, pal! Okay everyone, let's carry out the usable rocks!" Said a miner, as he and his fellow colleagues were extremely happy from the help they were receiving.

"Dude, work's become a cinch ever since Sir Copy transferred in." Said one of them happily.

"No doubt. I was so shocked when I first met him." Said another.

"H-Hey, you silly geese! Praising me won't get you a raise!" Replied Copy-Paste, liking the positive attention.

"Ahh, the joys of being praised for destroying things, and for being able to laugh together with friends!" the giant robot was overjoyed. "I may have finally found where I truly belong!"

"Hahaha! You're exaggerating, Sir Copy!" said one of the workers happily.

"But seriously, if you stayed here, it'd be a great help for all of us." Added another.

"Y-You mean it?" Copy-Paste was moved.

"You're just saying that because it makes your job a lot easier." Another miner joined the conversation.

"Heh. You figured me out." The previous one clicked his tongue.

"Dawww! Why, you! It's ten years too early for you to tease your buddy like that!" Said the robot happily.

Everyone started to laugh cheerfully.

From the side, the CPUs were watching the display.

"What the hell…?" Blanc was confused from the sight.

"More like, how'd things end up this way?" Said Neptune, surprised.

"They seem to be getting along… I'd feel bad about butting in…" Said Nepgear.

"His name is Copypaste, riiiight? He was a nice robot all along…" Said Plutia happily.

The conversation between the miners and the robot continued.

"But seriously, you guys, I can't be in a place like this forever." Said the robot.

"Huh? Why not, friend?" One of the miners was saddened.

"Is it the Seven Sages? Come on, man, you don't have to go back with those mean people." Tried to reason with him another.

"Yeah! If you work hard, I'm sure Lady Blanc will forgive you!" Added a miner.

"Yes, I know. I know in my burning, passion-fueled heart that your words are the truth." Replied Copy-Paste.

"But… Even then, the Seven Sages are long-time companions of mine with whom I've been through thick and thin! I cannot say that they are good people. There were times when we even came to blows! But! For me alone to roll over and succumb to a CPU… It is an act of betrayal that I cannot commit!" Explained himself passionately Copy-Paste.

"At least you know your place." Said Blanc.

"Oh?! You've come, CPUs and the strong young man!" The robot noticed their presence.

"I'll have you pay for destroying my Basilicom." Stated Blanc.

"I'd have it no other way! But of course, I won't let myself lose to the likes of you!" Challenged her Copy-Paste.

"W-Wait, Lady Blanc!" The miners tried to reason with her.

"Sir Copy is a really cool guy!" Said one.

"Sure is! I've never seen a guy look so happy while breaking rocks!" Said another.

Blanc didn't take kindly to their interruption.

"Tch, you blockheads! Loweeans are not allowed to get cozy with any of the Seven Sages!" Yelled Blanc, enraged.

"Dude, are you really one to say that?" Neptune decided to make one of her stupid remarks with a goofy face.

"Sh-Shut up! Stop dredging up the past!" Blanc yelled at her.

"I appreciate it, my friends, but please stand down. It'd be awful if you got injured in the fight!" said Copy-Paste, thankful to the miners for trying to stand up for him.

"No need to worry about us!" worried a miner.

"Do you really gotta fight, buddy?" Asked another, saddened.

"Yeah. It's the one thing that I can't back down from. Hey, guys… mind if I say one last thing?" Said the robot.

"Aww, chief, don't say 'last'!" Replied a miner.

"Just listen to me! Even now, I see the Seven Sages as my comrades… But if they are my comrades, that makes you guys and I… Dear friends." Said Copy-Paste, passionately.

"S-Sir Copy…!" The miners were moved.

"We feel… the same way about you…!" Started to tear up one of them.

Blanc was starting to get irritated.

"Ugh, you're making this harder to go through with! Hurry it up!" Complained Blanc, as she transformed.

"Hey! You all transform too, dammit!" She yelled at her companions.

"Yeah, yeah. Here we go!" Neptune transformed.

"This is such a mess. We're definitely the villains here." Sighed Purple Heart.

"It's fine to be bad girls, no? I've never been a champion of justice, myself…" Said Iris Heart.

"Um, we don't need to force ourselves to fight if we don't want to…" Nepgear tried to calm them down in her HDD, but to no avail.

"We came this far, so I won't hear any more complaints! If I say jump, you damn well better jump!" yelled White Heart.

Lelouch had stayed silent, having wanted to hear everything out to make his decision.

"Hey! What are you waiting for?!" yelled at him Blanc.

He ignored her and walked over to Copy-Paste, causing mass confusion.

He turned around to look at the girls.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Blanc was confused, like everyone else.

Lelouch gave Copy-Paste a serious look and then turned back to the girls.

"I will not let you destroy him." He stated, his face being serious.

"What?! Are you outta your mind!?" Blanc was enraged.

"Why are you standing up for me, young man? You should be fighting at your friends' side!" Said Copy-Paste, confused.

"I've done worse things than you could ever be able to do during my lifetime. But I believe that when someone shows that they want to live in a better way, they deserve a second chance. So from one villain to another, I'm extending a helping hand to you." Smirked Lelouch.

"Oooh, what is your name, friend?" Copy-Paste was moved by his words.

"Lelouch." He replied, turning his gaze back to the girls.

"Yeah! Sir Lelouch is going to help Sir Copy!" The miners were overjoyed that their friend would not face the CPUs alone.

"Oh, my. You're being a very bad boy. I believe a punishment is in order." Iris Heart licked her lips.

"Lelouch… are you really going to go through with this?" Asked Purple Heart, as she and the rest prepared their weapons.

"Unfortunately for you, yes." He replied, drawing his sword, as the red aura started to emit from his body.

"Give me your support, friends! RAAAH! Bring it on, CPUs!" Charged at them Copy-Paste.

His attack missed them and Nepgear charged her gun blade.

"MPBL Fire!" She fired off the energy blast.

"Tachyon Transmigration." Lelouch encased the robot in a shield of red energy, protecting him from the attack.

"Nice assist!" Replied Copy-Paste, as he swung at Neptune, who dodged.

Lelouch was charged by Iris Heart and White Heart.

"Take this, you traitor!" Yelled Blanc, as she swung at him with her axe.

"I've come for you, my sweet!" Iris Heart smiled sadistically and slashed at him with her electricity charged whip blade.

Lelouch smirked as their attacks were closing in. He took up his sword.

"Void Sever." He slashed, sending the two girls back from the shockwave caused by the collision of the three attacks.

"Lelouch, please stop this." Tried to reason with him Nepgear.

"I intend to." He said, as a light engulfed him.

Lelouch was in his HDD and stood in his full might, his black cybernetic sword in his hand. He opened his eyes, his Geass flaring.

"CPU Dark Heart, at your service." He grinned.

"You're a CPU, too?!" Copy-Paste was surprised.

"That I am, and I'm much more than these girls, who are playing around." He replied, turning to the rest of the CPUs.

Iris Heart's sadistic smile grew, as she saw the man in black and red armor.

"Yes, this is what I was waiting for. Now then, let's continue our intimate play session." She said, as she charged at Lelouch.

Their blades clashed.

"You know, you're a real loose cannon. You should learn to keep yourself in check." He said.

"Are you worried about me? Aren't you just a knight in black armor?" Smiled Plutia.

"Tch." Lelouch pushed her back.

Copy-Paste was fighting with Neptune and Nepgear, while Blanc had decided to ambush Lelouch.

"Take this!" She said dropping her axe from above him.

Lelouch caught it with his free hand.

"What?!" Blanc was shocked.

"Too weak." He said, as he kicked Blanc away from himself.

"Where are you looking? I won't allow you to neglect me!" Came Plutia's voice, as she managed to hit Lelouch and push him back a few feet.

"I thought this last time as well, but there is really something not right here. You're stronger than the others for some reason." Dark Heart said, brushing off the minimal damage caused to him.

"Giving compliments are we? Are you trying to seduce me?" Grinned Iris Heart.

"What a troublesome woman." Lelouch sighed, as he clashed his sword with her again.

"Take this, Neptune Break!" Neptune performed her finishing move on Copy-Paste, slashing through him countless times.

"Ugrh. Not bad. That's right, release the burning flames of your souls!" Yelled Copy-Paste taking the damage.

Lelouch looked at the unfolding situation and made his weapon disappear.

"Oh? Calling quits already? I won't let you rest on me!" Grinned Iris Heart.

"All of you have two options. You will transform back into your human forms willingly and stop this conflict, or I will make you." He said, his face being utmost serious.

Neptune and Nepgear looked at each other, exchanging nods, and transformed back.

Blanc and Plutia, however, weren't exactly rearing to go.

"Who told you two that you could change back?!" Yelled at them Blanc.

"Chillax, dude. It doesn't matter either way." Said Neptune.

"My dear Neppy, you cannot quit unless I allow you to. Perhaps you want me to punish you, yes, that's it." Said Iris Heart licking her lips.

"I've had enough of both of you. It will do you good to calm down." Lelouch said, as Blanc and Plutia turned to him.

"Oh yeah? Then make us, jackass!" Taunted him Blanc.

"As you wish. You WILL transform back!" He said, his Geass flaring up and entrancing the two girls.

"Understood." Replied the two entranced girls, as they changed back.

"Huh? Why am I like this? I remember being in HDD, but I'm back to normal for some reason." Blanc was confused.

"*Yawn* I'm sleepy…" Said Plutia, as she dozed off on her feet and was about to fall on the ground, but Lelouch caught her.

"Good grief. All of you are such a burden sometimes." He said, as a satisfied smile appeared on his face and transformed back.

"Uuuh, so what happens now?" Copy-Paste was confused.

"Well," Lelouch said picking up the sleeping Plutia and placing her on his back. "If I were you, I'd consider where my place is."

"Where my place is?" Copy-Paste was confused.

"Yay, Sir Copy wasn't destroyed by Lady Blanc!" the miners cheered happily.

"You guys." The robot was moved to tears.

Lelouch looked at Blanc, who was reluctant to admit her decision. She gave out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, I forgive you for destroying my Basilicom, and I will allow you to work here. BUT if you go back to the Seven Sages, I will crush you." She said to the giant robot.

"Thank you very much for this generous offer. I promise you will not regret it!" Copy-Paste bowed his head, grateful that he could spend more time with his new friends.

He then turned to the dark haired boy with the sleeping girl on his back.

"Thank you as well, young man!" he said happily.

"Don't sweat it." Lelouch replied and turned to the Nep siblings.

"Come on, let's head home." He said, as he headed for the exit of the mines.

"M'kay. Bye, Blanc, take care." Neptune waved at her and went after Lelouch.

"Wait for me!" Nepgear ran after them.

The four were on their way back to Planeptune.

"Hey, Lulu, you were very cool back there." Joked Neptune.

"I don't need your consent to know that." He replied.

"Do you think Plutia is alright?" Asked Nepgear worried.

"She's fine. Bet the girl woke up for a split-second then immediately went back to sleep." Said Neptune.

"Wow, Neppy, how did you know…?" Came the girl in question's voice.

"Ah, good, you're awake. You will be walking on your own from now on." Lelouch said, as he dropped her on the ground.

"Aww, but I was having so much fun sleeping on your back, Lulu…" She complained.

"Is that so? Then next time I'll drag you like a ragdoll." He replied, irritated that the girl was playing around with him.

"Meanie…" Plutia pouted.

After a while, they arrived in Planeptune and were walking towards the Basilicom.

"Phew, we can finally take a breather. I hope Histy's doing alright." Said Neptune.

"I wonder. Those kids don't know how to hold back, so they might have squished her to death…" Said Nepgear.

"Hmm? I hear noises…" Plutia noticed something, as they got closer to the Basilicom.

"You're right, something's up." Lelouch said raising his guard.

"You don't think it's the Seven Sages, right?" Said Nepgear worried.

"If that's the case, then we have to act now… Histyyyyyyyyyy…!" Plutia yelled opening the door.

Inside the room was chaos, as a small blond girl with a pink dress was among Histoire and the children.

"I finally have concrete evidence! Prepare yourselves for prison!" Declared Abnes, as she held Histoire.

"I am trying to explain that this is all a big misunderstanding. Please release me!" Protested the oracle.

"Hey! Don't bully Histoire!" IF was mad.

"Waah! A bad person!" Compa started to cry.

"Bad girls get kicked!" Declared Peashy, as she hit Abnes.

"Ow! That was a serious attack! Even if you're a little girl, I'll get mad if I need to!" Exclaimed Abnes in pain.

The four CPUs sighed, realizing all their worrying was for nothing.

"Ok, enough of all this!" Lelouch raised his voice, causing everyone to turn to him.

"Yep. This is the attack quality we've come to expect from the Seven Sages." Sighed Neptune.

"Is that girl part of the Seven Sages?" asked Nepgear.

"Yeah. She babbles on and on about protecting the little girls of the world." Explained Neptune.

"Abnes, don't tease Histy…!" Plutia scolded her.

"Oh, you're back. So you were behind the kidnappings, after all! You can't talk your way out of it this time!" stated Abnes.

"I have been trying to tell you that it is a misunderstanding…" Said Histoire.

The children continued to beat up Abnes.

"Ugh! Three against one!? No fair! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Abnes was in pain.

"Wooooow… The kids are sooooo strong…" Plutia was happy.

"Well yeah their mentor was me! They won't lose to fodder like her!" Declared proudly Neptune.

"Yes and because it was you, none of them stop to think things through." Lelouch replied to her comment.

"She's one of the Seven Sages, but Abnes is soooo weak…" Said Plutia.

"Is it okay to leave them alone? Those kids haven't grown up enough to understand mercy…" Pointed out Nepgear.

Lelouch went over to the kids and pulled the three of them back.

"Stop beating on the little girl already. She's pathetic enough as it is." He told them.

"Ok." Replied the three girls.

"Yay, you were all soooo cool…! Good job, my little heroines…!" Said happily and proudly Plutia.

"Stop encouraging such behavior from children!" Lelouch scolded her.

"Awww…" She was disappointed.

"At least there's one adult who knows something about raising children!" Complained Abnes.

"Um, let's go play over there now, kids. Come along…" Nepgear took the girls.

"You got what you deserved. You made no attempt to hear me out, after all." Said Histoire the blond girl.

"Ugh, well, I know that this is supposed to be a daycare of some kind now, but…" Abnes was interrupted.

"And yet you had the guts to come and accuse us of something which we haven't committed, without evidence might I add." Said Lelouch.

"Th-These children are not being raised properly! Little girls must all be raised correctly, equally!" Abnes tried to find an excuse for herself.

"Yeah, yeah. A beaten dog loves to bark at the moon or whatever." Gloated Neptune.

"Grr! This foolish CPU just made a fool of me!" Abnes was hysteric.

"Neppy, don't tease her too much…" Scolded her Plutia.

"So… you're really not the kidnappers?" Asked Abnes, having calmed down somewhat.

"No, we are not." Said Lelouch.

"Wait a minute, dark hair and a black and gold outfit… Ah, you are the one who beat Copy-Paste and Arfoire!" Abnes recognized the boy.

"The name's Lelouch." He introduced himself.

"So he's the one that faced off against him… This guy doesn't look hostile, but he is most likely dangerous." Abnes thought to herself.

"Anyway, you're responsible for the kidnappings!" Abnes continued on, stubbornly.

"Why are we at fault? It's most likely the Seven Sages' doing." Argued Neptune.

"Huh? Why would we do that?!" Abnes replied angered.

"Blanc forced me to read this detective novel before and the culprit framed others for the crimes that he committed. So yeah, that's gotta be exactly what's going on right now! I swear on my grandpa's name!" Said Neptune.

"I'm impressed that you actually read something for a change and remembered it, but life doesn't always go like books portray it to. You're hearing this from someone who's read a lot of material." Said Lelouch.

"Wow Neppy, you have a grandpa…?" Plutia was amazed.

"No, we don't." Replied Nepgear with a bit of disappointment at Neptune's statement and the fact that Plutia fell for it.

"That couldn't possibly be true!" Replied Abnes.

"Neptune… Without any evidence, that truly is pushing it…" Said Histoire. "As long as Abnes is with them, I don't believe the Seven Sages to be kidnapping kids."

"On the contrary, Histoire, I agree with Neptune on this, though currently there is no evidence to prove the Seven Sages guilty. Intuition is a capability of the mind that really helps out in most cases." Added Lelouch.

"Yeah, what Lulu said." Neptune couldn't quite get what he was saying, but understood the part about him taking her side.

"Knock it off! Have you bothered to think about how it feels to be suspected when you're innocent?!" Replied Abnes.

"I would like to throw that comment back at you, Abnes." Said Histoire, displeased.

"You're causing trouble in other nations, so why not throw in some kid stealing in there? Right, Nep Jr.?" Said Neptune.

"Huh? Um… Please leave me out of this…" Nepgear didn't want to partake in the debate.

"Hey! What was that about us causing chaos in other nations?!" Abnes was confused and shocked.

"Oh boy, here we go playing dumb again." Sighed Neptune.

"I'm not playing anything! Did you mean what you said?" Asked Abnes.

"Yes, the other three nations have emergencies on their hands currently." Lelouch stated facts. "Well, two out of three, to be exact."

"Uh-huuuuh… Blanny, Vert and Noire all left in a hurry…" Nodded Plutia in agreement.

"I hadn't heard anything… Ooooh, those jerks are always doing whatever they please!" Abnes was mad, as she left the Basilicom, slamming the door.

"Bye-bye… Be caaaaareful…" Plutia waved at her.

"Ugh, we cornered the culprit and let her escape. I'm a true blue failure of a gumshoe." Neptune was displeased.

"Pipe down. She wasn't feigning ignorance." Lelouch said.

"Ah, you noticed as well. I wonder how the Seven Sages' inter-structure works and its stability." Sighed Histoire.

"They don't seem to communicate very well." Pointed out Nepgear.

"Perhaps, but that is nothing but conjecture at this point." Said Histoire.

"It's a starting point nonetheless. There needs to be a base for something to be built up, after all." Replied Lelouch.

Abnes was on her way out of Planeptune when she was stopped.

"Yo, I've been looking for you, Abnes." Came a young man's voice.

"Eep! Wh-What do you want?" Abnes was frightened when she saw the boy.

"Relax, I'm not here to attack you or anything. I just wanted to tell you to meet up with me sometime later on the border between Planeptune and Lastation. Then you and I can have a long chat about you and the others' activities." Said the brown haired boy.

"I'm guessing that that is not an invitation." Replied the blond girl sheepishly.

"No, it's an order." Said the boy with a light smile, as he walked off, leaving Abnes to gulp down her fear.

* * *

 **Alright, so, on with my usual check up. I decided to keep Copy-Paste alive and have Lelouch save him from Blanc's wrath, to give a nice change of events, but still keep the result of the far end. Next chapter we'll be heading to Leanbox to see how our protagonist can help out Vert(No Neptune, I'm not talking about you). Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and i wish you an awesome day!**


	40. The strange creatures

Chapter 40: The strange creatures

After they had returned back to the Basilicom, the CPUs were getting a breather until they set off to help another of their friends. Well a certain airheaded girl was napping in her room, while there was an argument going on.

"Gimme your pudding, Neptuna! I wanna eat yours!" Demanded Peashy.

"No can do, kiddo, it's mine. See? I even wrote Nep's on it." Denied her Neptune.

"Don't make her throw a fit because you want to be selfish." Said IF.

"Pea, I put yours in the fridge." Added Compa, both girls failing to subside the small blond girl's desire for Nep's pudding.

"NO! I want Neptuna's!" Yelled Peashy.

"But why? Yours and mine are the exact same, right down to the expiration dates." Neptune couldn't comprehend the girl's logic.

"I don't think that's the point. I think what she wants is to be able to have something of yours." Said Nepgear.

"It must have to do with the big smile that you get when you eat yours." Said Histoire.

Lelouch, having come in the room to hear what the ruckus was about, decided to play a prank on Neptune just because he had nothing else to do.

"Well then, I believe that this problem can be resolved quite easily." Lelouch said, as he snatched Neptune's pudding from her hands.

"Hey, give that back, it's mine!" Neptune tried to get it back, but failed.

She started to try to get her desert back from the boy, jumping around him, grabbing his arms and whatnot, but couldn't get back her pudding.

"Look now, Peashy. What I'm doing is called bullying and is a bad thing to do. You can't just take things from other people without them allowing you to do so." He said, as he opened the desert and took a spoonful out of it.

Neptune watched in horror as the boy ate her pudding and was trying to come out as an educational figure.

"Your words aren't convincing at all, Lulu! Don't eat my pudding!" demanded Neptune as she jumped around him, trying to get back her pudding.

"Everything belongs to me and I'm the one who decides what goes and what not. I believe that I had made that clear by now." He smirked as he put another spoonful of the desert in his mouth.

"No, Lulu you jerk!" Neptune was devastated.

Lelouch put the pudding down on the table and went over to Peashy.

"Now, Peashy, what did you learn from this?" He asked, kneeling down to be at eye level with the little girl.

"That Lulu can do whatever he wants and get away with it!" Replied happily Peashy.

"Uh, yeah, sure. That wasn't what I was going for, but I guess it works as well." He sighed and turned to Nepgear.

"Nepgear could you get me a writing utensil, please?" He asked.

"Okay." Nepgear brought him a marker.

He opened the fridge and took out two cups of pudding. On each he wrote "Nep's" and gave them to Neptune and Peashy respectfully.

"Here you go. Neptune's pudding." He gave a sly smile.

"I'm really starting to think that he does get away with everything." Sighed Histoire, not sure if Lelouch was acting civilly or if he wanted to just antagonize Neptune.

"Ahaha… That's Lelouch for you…" Nepgear smiled nervously.

Neptune wasn't exactly thrilled, but didn't turn back the pudding. Peashy, on the other hand, was ecstatic.

"Whoa, awesome! Gimme Neptuna's pudding!" Said the girl, grabbing it from the boy's hand.

She started devouring it like there's no tomorrow.

"Whoa, you're sloppin' that slop all over your hair and whatnot! Calm down when you eat!" Neptune whined.

"Is it good, Peashy?" Nepgear asked the little girl.

"It's yummy! Neptuna's pudding is the best pudding!" replied the girl overjoyed.

"Man, and I was just telling you that they're the exact same." Sighed in defeat Neptune with a smile on her face.

"This goes to show just how much Peashy adores you, Neptune. Hehehe." Replied Histoire happily.

"You think? That's pretty cool." Neptune blushed.

"For someone of your standards." Lelouch added receiving a glare from the purple haired girl.

Later, Neptune woke up Plutia and the party prepared to set off. They headed towards Leanbox. After a long while of travelling, the four were in a forest, which was in-route to the city. The duo of Planeptune CPUs, however, were whining about their long journey.

"Whew. Leanbox is like an ocean away. Walking, then boating, then more walking…" Neptune complained.

"I'm soooo tired… I can't walk another step…" Plutia was beat.

"We're almost to the city. Try to be strong, ok?" Assured them Nepgear.

"Weeeell, Vert is pretty amazing to come visit all the time when she lives so far away…" Plutia was marveled and exhausted.

"It's an earnest expression of her love for Nep Jr. As her real big sis, I can't grow careless!" Declared Neptune.

"Hehehe. I think her love is a bit too heavy for me, though." Replied Nepgear.

Lelouch felt like he would kill the girls if they didn't shut up just for a minute. They had been whining ever since they crossed Planeptune's border.

"Ugh, quiet down would you? I'm trying to enjoy the scenery, WITHOUT unnecessary chatting." Lelouch emphasized his annoyance from the girls.

"Uuuh… No more… I gotta rest my footsies…" Plutia sat down.

"Good grief, you're hopeless." Smiled Lelouch, remembering the times when he was strictly against physical activity.

Not that he was a big fan of it now, but he didn't find it as unnecessary and saw it as a way to keep himself in shape.

"Goodness, don't sit down. If you do, we might get attacked by a monster." Said Nepgear.

"I think this a fine spot to sit. We're close to the city, so I doubt any monsters are nearby." Pointed out Neptune.

"Alright then, we'll take a break." Lelouch agreed.

"Yaaaay…" Plutia was happy that she could sit for longer.

Everyone sat on the ground, but then they heard rustling in the bushes behind them.

"Huh?" Nepgear turned around to check things out.

She found herself staring down some type of bug-like creature. She immediately got terrified and froze on the spot.

"What's up? Why're you spacing out? Sit down already." Neptune told her sister.

"Come and sit by meeee…" Plutia invited her.

"U-Um, uh… B-Behind…" Nepgear mumbled.

"Hmm?" The other three turned around to see what was up.

When they saw the creature it got terrified and let out a squeak, which caused the girls to scream. All of them jumped from their seats and stared down the creature in disgust.

"Wh-What is this thing?" Neptune was grossed out.

"It looks dangerous! Get back you three!" Ordered Lelouch.

The creature continued to squeak, as others popped up around it.

"Eww, are they excited or something? I-If you wanna fight us, then… a-a-a-a fight you shall have…!" Neptune was hesitant.

"Blechhh… They're yucky…" Said Plutia.

"Um, I'd rather not fight them…" Added Nepgear.

The three girls got behind Lelouch and started to push him.

"H-Hey, what are you doing?!" He said.

"You're a man, right? Then you aren't grossed out by those things and will deal with them!" Said Neptune, as she and the others were pushing him towards the creatures.

"You damn sexist, I don't want to fight them!" Lelouch protested.

"But they are sooooo gross…" Said Plutia, as the girls were struggling with pushing him, as he was pushing back.

Just then, their savior appeared.

"I've finally caught up!" Came Vert's voice.

"Huh?! Vert!?" Nepgear was shocked to see Leanbox's CPU in her HDD.

The other three turned around to see the newly arrived CPU.

"Oh? What brings you here?" Vert asked them.

"We wanted to help you, buuuuuut…" Plutia looked at the things.

They continued to squeak, causing everyone to back away from them.

"Vert, what are these pocketed monstrosities?! I've never seen critters like them before!" Neptune was desperate to have an answer to her question.

"I'll explain afterwards. For now, I ask for your aid!" Said Green Heart.

The group reluctantly agreed to her request.

Vert struck at one with her spear, dealing considerable damage to it. Neptune and Plutia were standing behind Lelouch, completely grossed out.

"Lulu, do something! Those things are getting closer!" Screamed in his ear Neptune.

It took him a few seconds to get his hearing back and Lelouch drew his revolver, opting that dealing with those things from afar was the best course of action. He fired a few volleys at the creatures and was surprised that they were still standing.

"Hit 'em more, they are still standing…!" Said Plutia, tugging at his free arm.

"I'm trying to!" He yelled. "Dark Barrage Blast!"

The homing energy blasts hit two of the things and seemed to do the trick, as the creatures were lying on the ground, seemingly dead.

Nepgear managed to help Vert defeat the other one.

Everyone was about to let out a sigh of relief, when the things sprung back to life and continued to squeak.

"We couldn't finish them off… They've got a fierce will to live!" Vert was disappointed.

Lelouch was really irritated from the noise those monsters made.

"For god's sake, stop letting out that awful sound already!" He yelled, causing the creatures to make a run for it.

The girls seemed relieved from the disappearance of the monsters.

"Great job, Lulu! It seems that even monsters don't want to stand around you when you snap." Joked Neptune.

"Hey, they're gone now, so you could at least show some gratitude." Lelouch replied taking offense to the purple haired girl's comment.

"Yaaaay, thank you, Lulu…!" Clapped at him Plutia, which made him feel miserable for even opening his mouth.

Vert transformed back to her human form.

"These monsters had begun their rampage even before I had rushed over here from Planeptune. I've been chasing them down ever since." Said the blond CPU, with an exhausted look on her face.

"Sounds rough. Is this the Seven Sages' doing?" Asked Lelouch.

"It is probable, but there's no way to be certain." Replied Vert.

"It sounds like eeeeeverything is the Seven Sages' fault…" Pointed out happily Plutia.

Neptune decided to butt in the conversation with her high class humor and remarks.

"Yeah, so whenever anything weird happens, we can just shrug and put the blame on them or something." She stated triumphantly.

Nepgear was having something else that was bothering her.

"Do you know if there are more of these monsters?" She asked Vert.

"Yes. I've confirmed over ten. Thankfully, they're not all that malicious, so damage has been minimal." Replied Vert.

"However, they have high endurance and are quick to run away, so to be honest, I'm at a bit of a loss." Sighed Vert.

Neptune having decided that she's heard enough made a goofy face and was about to leave.

"Hmm, I see. That sucks a butt. Good luck out there, Vert!" She said, as she dashed off, only to be grabbed by the collar of her jersey by Lelouch.

Plutia didn't saw that and also waved goodbye to Vert, only to join Neptune.

Lelouch was now standing with both of the girls hanging from his arms.

"Neither of you are going anywhere." He scolded them.

Neptune and Plutia were sad that their escape strategy had failed.

"What happened with the part about coming here to aid me?" Asked Vert.

"Well, we planned to, but uhhhhh… You know. I mean…right?" Neptune was trying to think up an excuse.

"Fighting those monsters was soooo super icky. I was soooo creeped out…" Whined Plutia.

"Oh man, you felt that way, too? What was that, the worst?!" Neptune also complained.

"I happen to agree. They gave me the worst feeling that I've ever experienced." Added Nepgear.

Lelouch was staying silent, contemplating when was the last time he felt such primal disgust within his being. An image of the Deity of Sin popped up in his head, but he quickly dismissed it, noting that those things didn't possess the powers of a CPU.

"I have to deal with that feeling as well, you know! Please, help me!" Demanded Vert.

"But, uh, if those things are stuck on Leanbox, we don't really gotta worry about it." Remarked Neptune.

Vert then immediately thought of a sure-fire way to get them to help.

"If I fail to stop them here, they might emigrate to Planeptune." She said.

"Ewwwww! Anything but thaaaaat…" Plutia was grossed out.

"Do you understand now? Then the matter is settled. Lelouch, you can let them go now." Said Vert happily.

He dropped the two girls on the ground.

"I take it's near impossible to eliminate those things one by one?" Lelouch asked Leanbox's CPU.

"Yes. Whoever released them must be here, so I thought to track down their leader by following their retreat." Vert stated her plan.

"I see. Then this is no time to talk! They're getting away, right?" Said Nepgear.

"If we chase after them at full speed, we'll only tire ourselves out." Pointed out Vert.

"Similar to how you found them, I believe they need to rest as well. Come. Let us be on our way." Explained Vert and gestured for the others to follow her.

Neptune and Plutia were very displeased from the development of the situation.

"We got no other choice, huh? Oh, well. Let's just do this so we can go home. Yep, yep, yep…" Neptune complained.

"Uguuuuu… I really, really don't wannna…" Plutia did as well.

Lelouch pinched the two girls on the cheeks.

"Stop whining and get a move on." He said, as he followed after Vert and Nepgear.

Plutia and Neptune followed them, still unhappy.

After walking in the forest for a while, looking for the creatures, Neptune decided to start a conversation.

"We can't find the darn things." She said.

"We've noticed." Replied Lelouch, disinterested in holding a conversation.

"Do you think we lost them?" Asked Nepgear.

"No, this should be the right way. So… Shh!" Vert said, before noticing something and the distance and told the others to keep quiet and out of sight.

Plutia, of course, didn't get the memo.

"Why'd you shush yourself…?" the purple haired girl was confused.

"Quiet. I hear someone talking." Said Vert.

Near them were the whole bunch of creatures. They seemed to be squeaking at something or someone. When the CPUs got closer to take a look they could see the culprit behind the creatures' presence. It was a fat middle-aged man with glasses dressed in a black suit. He seemed to be talking with the things.

"Oh, I see. The CPUs bullied you. There, there, you poor things…" the old man comforted the creatures.

The creatures continued to let out sounds.

"Your sisters are worried, too. Try not to cry anymore, okay?" Said the old man.

Lelouch was confused from the situation, but it seemed that Neptune had her own thoughts on the matter, which she decided to share.

"Ew. One, two… three of 'em." Neptune counted the creatures up.

"That's the old man who was being suuuuuper mean to Blanny…!" Plutia recognized the old man.

Lelouch noticed something.

"Hey, Vert, you said that there were up to ten, but it looks like there are three." He pointed out her mistake.

"Oh well, I might have exaggerated a little bit, but that's not important right now." Said Vert, covering up her screw up.

Lelouch became annoyed from her attitude.

"Next time when you give information, make sure it's solid!" he cursed at her in his thoughts.

"We've caught that man red-handed. You there!" Vert revealed herself to the old man.

"Gah, the CPUs?!" The old man was surprised.

"How dare you bring such things into my nation…" Vert started to accuse him, but was cut off.

"How dare YOU! You cretins!" Yelled Mr. Badd.

This caused Vert to falter and get confused.

"Wh-Why are you yelling at me…?" She asked nervously.

"Maybe you did something bad without realizing it? That's so Vert!" Joked Neptune.

"Don't talk as if you know! I haven't done anything to him!" Protested Vert.

"Trying to feign innocence!? You made my lovely daughter cry!" said Mr. Badd.

The conversation continued downhill from there on, as Vert got accused of child abuse and Neptune and Plutia started making their usual dumb jokes while Nepgear was just fretting on the side. Lelouch felt like he was in a circus.

Instead of wasting his energy listening to the whole fiasco, he decided to concentrate on the creatures' energy. To his surprise, all of the things felt to have a small instance of CPU power within them.

"Those things… could it be…?" He thought, and looked at the man, who had finished explaining how much he loved his 'daughters'.

Before Neptune and the rest could put in their reaction, Lelouch stepped in the conversation.

"Old man, what are those things that you claim to be your 'daughters'? I can feel a CPUs power from them." Lelouch growled.

"Oh? So you noticed, eh? Too bad that I don't feel like telling you." Mr. Badd smirked.

The old man then realized something.

"Wait, you are the boy, who defeated Arfoire and Copy-Paste… Your appearance matches the description. My name is Mr. Badd. What is your name, young man?" Asked the middle-aged man.

"Lelouch." Replied the boy.

"Well then, young Lelouch, I'm no fool to believe that I can take on someone of your strength. I will not risk my daughters' well-being over this." Said Mr. Badd.

"Since you know your place, I might as well be lenient enough to let you go." Told him Lelouch with a narrowed gaze, though he felt like pointing out that he was much older than he looked.

"What?! We're letting him go?!" Vert was shocked.

Neptune and Plutia, on the other hand, were grateful.

"Yeah, that way we won't have to fight those things again." Said Neptune happily.

"Yaaaay…" Added cheerfully Plutia.

"Um, ok?" Nepgear decided not to question Lelouch's decision.

The middle-aged man smiled.

"Hmm, it was a pleasure meeting you. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be taking our leave." Said Mr. Badd, leaving with his daughters.

Lelouch and the rest watched as they disappeared from sight. Vert was somewhat confused from everything.

"Why did you let him go?" She asked Lelouch.

"I do not enjoy going into things without first having sufficient information on hand. Those 'daughters' of his might've turned into a real problem if a fight broke out, so I decided on a more peaceful solution." Explained Lelouch.

"We were saved from those disgusting things thanks to Lulu's brilliance." Said Neptune happily.

"Lulu's the best…" Added happily Plutia.

For some reason both girls were cheering for Lelouch. The dark haired boy decided to ignore them for the time being and turned to Vert and Nepgear.

"What now?" Asked Nepgear.

"Well, since the threat to my nation's gone, I might as well return to the city and proceed with all the paperwork that awaits me for the damages caused by those creatures." Sighed Vert.

"Alright, then we'll be heading to Lastation." Declared Lelouch, causing the cheering of Neptune and Plutia to stop.

"But I'm soooo tired…" Said Plutia.

"Yeah, let's rest for a few days or so." Added Neptune.

Lelouch turned around and glared at the two, making them sigh in disappointment, realizing that their complaints wouldn't be heard.

"Ok, then I wish you a safe journey." Said Vert.

"Thanks, take care." Waved Neptune.

"Bye-bye…" Waved Plutia.

With that the four Planeptune residing CPUs took off. Neptune and Plutia were grumbling along the way again, while Lelouch and Nepgear were discussing about their next destination and what to expect.

Somewhere else, on the outskirts of Planeptune, in a mountain range had gathered a lot of monsters. Local people were having trouble with them and had sent a request to the guild. Their request was taken up by a young man with brown hair, who was now standing before the horde of monsters.

He eyed his targets and deduced the most efficient way of dealing with them.

"Sorry, but you're causing harm to the people, so I'll have to deal with you." Said the boy to the monsters, who growled and roared at him.

He unsheathed his two swords. When he did both swords became coated in a reddish shell.

The monsters charged at him.

"MVS Combination."

The boy dashed through and slashed the monsters four times at insane speeds. When he reappeared, back where he originally stood, he looked at the monsters.

All of them were paralyzed and didn't move a muscle. He sheathed his swords and when he did, the monsters turned into pixels and disappeared.

He looked around to witness a giant mech appear out of nowhere. The thing was apparently the ring leader of the monsters that he had destroyed.

"A Killachine, huh." Said the young man.

The machine swung at him, but the boy dodged with ease. He materialized a high-tech gun in his right hand and aimed at the machine.

"VARIS Blast." He fired the light blue energy blast at the Killachine.

The machine was completely engulfed by the blast and when the energy dispersed, the Killachine was turned to dust.

"Well, this takes care of that." Said the boy, satisfied that he had finished his assignment.

Still, he felt it was too easy, just like every other enemy. There was hardly a time when he felt excitement from facing someone or something in battle and he didn't want to. To him fighting was a means to resolve problems, not cause them.

While he was reminiscing this, the brown haired boy remembered the time in Leanbox where he had faced off against that dark haired boy.

He clenched his fist.

"I sure hope that he doesn't turn out to be evil. It'd be a shame if a talent like his goes to waste like that. Still, he seemed to be with the other CPUS, so there's a chance…" Thought the boy.

"Whoever you are, I get the feeling that we'll be seeing each other again real soon." The boy looked up at the sky.

* * *

 **Whew, took me a while to finish this chapter. I want to thank you for sharing your opinion on my writing. I always welcome criticism and other people's opinion. I tried not to make this chapter into a huge wall of dialogue. Hope it turned out ok (Please don't lynch me XD). Anyway, thank you for reading and i bid you a good night, cause it's night time in my country :)!**


	41. Noire's archenemy

Chapter 41: Noire's archenemy

"We're finally here!" Exclaimed Neptune.

The four had arrived at Lastation's Basilicom and entered it. They went over to Noire's room, inside which the girl was currently complaining to herself.

"Ugh! Who's responsible for this!? Who would do something so horrible?!" Noire fretted.

Unknown to anyone, a certain person had established a camera in the dark haired girl's room. He was currently watching the girl squirm in irritation.

"Tee-hee! She's so adorable… That pained expression with teary eyes is my favorite…" Giggled Anonydeath.

"Golly, I want to hurry up and see her in person, but she is taking oh-so-long to find me…" Said the hacker, before noticing a bunch of people enter the room.

"Hmm? Is someone else there…?" He mused.

Neptune opened the door energetically and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Hey, Noire! How's it hanging?" She said goofily.

The tsundere wasn't in the brightest of moods so she didn't react kindly to Neptune's intrusion.

"Are you stupid?! Can't you tell by looking?!" Yelled Noire.

She was at her desk, which was surrounded by tons of documents.

"Yikes! She's yelling at me…" Squealed Plutia.

"Oh! N-No, um, I wasn't yelling at you, Plutia… It's just that Neptune came in here with that stupid voice of hers after I already felt irritated, so, um…" Noire hurried to explain herself.

"Don't you think it's a bit awful how differently you treat us?" Said Neptune hurt from the girl's words.

Lelouch ignored the farce and looked at the CPU of Lastation's desk.

"It would seem that you have quite the problem on your hands. Would you like some help?" He asked.

"Yeah, we'll help if you're in trouble, so just say the magic word!" Added cheerfully Neptune.

"We'll do aaaanything…" Said Plutia.

"I appreciate it, but I can't show you my citizens' personal information or my nation's secrets…" Replied Noire.

Lelouch rolled his eyes and went over to her desk, ignoring her statement.

"H-Hey! I said that you can't…" Noire stopped herself, seeing Lelouch start going through the documents.

He was concentrated on his work and ignored the girls around him.

"Well, Lulu is in his epic typing machine mode, so I guess you'll just have to accept his help." Neptune patted Noire on the shoulder.

The dark haired girl let out a sigh of defeat, only to be interrupted by Nepgear.

"Um, Noire?" Said the younger Nep sibling.

"Now you? Geez, what is it?" Asked Noire.

Nepgear pointed to an empty space on one of the shelves with books in the tsundere's room. She was pointing at a big gap between two books.

"Why do you have a camera set up in such a secretive spot?" Asked Nepgear.

"Camera? I don't have one in here." Replied Noire.

"I'm sorry, but you definitely do. Look. It's pointed directly at your face right now, Noire." Said Nepgear, pointing in the direction of the camera.

Noire turned to look at where Nepgear was pointing and was surprised to find out that she was right.

"You're right, I see it. But why? I didn't sign off on this." Noire was puzzled.

Neptune saw this as a golden opportunity to tease Noire.

"Noire, just be honest and admit that you like to record yourself working and watch it later on. You probably watch yourself and act all satisfied, saying 'I'm so cool!'. Yeah, uh, kinda gross, Noire." Said Neptune.

"Sounds reeeeeally creepy…" Added Plutia.

"No, I don't! I have no idea why a camera is in here!" Protested Noire.

Lelouch had gone through a considerable portion of the paperwork and looked up to see what the commotion was about.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Oh, Lulu has rejoined the living." Joked Neptune.

"Who's responsible!? Who put this in here?!" Noire grabbed the camera angrily, which caused Lelouch to get confused.

"Let me take a look… There isn't a microphone, but it seems to be transferring the video wirelessly. Basically, if you didn't set it up, then that means someone else is secretly taping you." Deduced Nepgear, after examining the camera.

"Secretly taping me?! Yuck! That's way too creepy!" Noire was grossed out.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Lelouch repeated himself, only a little louder.

"Noire's being taped by her shady followers." Joked Neptune.

"Apologize this instant! Not to me, but to my followers! With all the sincerity in the world!" Noire was offended the joke.

Lelouch sighed, realizing that he would have to piece together the situation himself by listening to their conversation. It was a tough job to extract only the valuable information from their talking, but Lelouch was very adept in that department.

After a couple of sentences from the girls, he came up to speed, understanding that there's some weirdo who's taping Noire, though he was still angry that they didn't bother to explain things to him.

For some reason, he remembered that time when Noire had confessed to him and he had erased her memory of it. He felt bad about that and the current situation, though he reminded himself that this wasn't the same Noire. She wasn't the girl he had pushed away.

His contemplating was interrupted, as Nepgear had pulled out of nowhere a gadget, which she claimed to have made and used on the camera.

"Nepgear, can you pinpoint the location where the signal travels to?" Asked her Lelouch.

"Yes, I can triangulate the signal so we can find out where the culprit is downloading the data feeds." Replied Nepgear.

"R-Really? How handy." Noire was surprised.

"Hehe! I'm happy to be of help." Smiled Nepgear.

Lelouch was starting to notice that the girl was a tech freak in every sense of the word, which came as a surprise to him, as Nepgear rarely stood out with something.

"Okay. Let's trace the data. They must've heard us talking, so we need to act fast or they'll get away." Stated Nepgear, resuming her work.

Noire turned to Neptune.

"What an unusual girl. She really is your sister." Said Noire.

"Yep, it's one of her cute quirks. It doesn't come out that often, and it's rarely ever useful, but…" Neptune was interrupted in the middle of her explanation.

"Woooow! So does this mean you can make biiiiig robots, Neppy Jr.?" Asked Plutia, marveled at the idea.

"Whoa, cool those mecha jets. If you ask her that, she'll really end up building one." Neptune panicked, stopping her friend from continuing the topic.

Lelouch, on the other hand, was imaging Nepgear as a general of an army of mechs and all types of machines, setting off on conquering the world. He chuckled at the thought, thinking it hilarious for the girl to do that.

"Maybe I should give her a project to work on sometime? A robotic army does sound nice." Lelouch mused in his thoughts.

Meanwhile, from his video feed, Anonydeath wasn't quite pleased at the development.

"Aww, this is no good at all. I wanted Noire to find my toys, not that other girl…" He murmured to himself.

"Nepgear, was it? I see that she is somewhat competent. Tee-hee! Well, whatever." He turned his attention to the dark haired boy in black and gold.

"So this is the infamous kid that thrashed Copy and Arfie… He seems brighter than the rest, I'll have to be careful around him." Deduced the hacker.

"No matter. Finally, I'll get to see Noire in the flesh…" He giggled.

After Nepgear managed to pinpoint the location of the signal, everyone headed out. They arrived at an abandoned warehouse.

Nepgear was using her gadget to confirm their locus.

"The response is getting stronger. I think we're close to the server." Nepgear informed the others.

"Hiding inside an old building, huh? How cliché." Said Lelouch.

"Ugh, I'll get those bastards this time!" Noire was mad.

"In your heart of hearts you've already pinned the Seven Sages for this, huh, Noire?" Asked Neptune.

"Of course I have! Who else could it be?!" Replied the dark haired girl.

"As I said, the creepy Noire fanbase." Joked the purple haired goddess, gaining a growl from Noire.

Lelouch felt some offense to that statement, but ignored it.

"Cut it out!" Said Noire angered.

The group entered the facility. Inside they found what looked like an improvised lab.

"I'm picking up a powerful reaction. It's close. Right ahead, maybe." Said Nepgear, looking at her device.

"Mmm, correctamundo, honey. Maybe this problem was too easy for such a smartypants." Came a questionable voice.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Demanded Noire.

"Aww, but Noire didn't solve it… It's hard to strike a balance between the smart ones and the dim ones." Continued the voice.

"Wow Noire, you were dumb aaaaall along…?" Plutia asked happily.

"I had inklings of suspicions. She's dependable and all, but her brain's not wired too well." Added Neptune.

"You're the very, very, very last people I want to hear that from! Dammit, show yourself already!" Demanded Noire, angered.

From the shadows came a pink and purple mech with green energy panels.

"How impatient darling. I'll come out without you rushing me." Said the robot.

"I assume you're the one who's doing whatever he wants with my nation, huh?" Sneered at him Noire.

Nepgear, on the other hand, was beaming at the sight of the thing.

"Wowee, a neat robot…! No, wait… Is that more like a power suit? What the goodness gracious wow…!" Nepgear was amazed.

"Uh, Nep Jr., why're your eyes all sparkly and stuff?" Neptune was somewhat worried for her sister.

The mech seemed to tremble a little.

"Ooh, there's my Noire…! The real deal, in the flesh…!" he said with passion.

"H-His eyes are sparkly, too!" Neptune was shocked.

"Wh-What's up with this guy? He's creeping me out." Noire became flustered.

"Golly gee, sorry. I got a bit worked up!" apologized the mech.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Seven Sages' wizard, the one who works in the shadows. The unstoppable super hacker, Anonydeath!" Introduced himself Anonydeath.

"I would be tickled as pink as my suit if you gave me a cutesy nickname like Anny, Noire." Said the hacker.

"No way! Why would I do that?!" Noire was outraged.

"Hmm, a hacker, huh? I've dealt with your kind before." Smirked Lelouch.

Plutia, however, had something else on her mind.

"Sooo… why do you talk all girly, when your voice sounds like a booooy…?" The girl was confused.

"Sweetie, don't fret over the boring details. Gender is a non-issue in the hacking world, you see. Besides, my heart is more pure than the hearts of anyone else in the whole world!" Stated Anonydeath.

Lelouch was dumbfounded at the statement. Taking a second to take everything he sighed in disappointment.

"Great, another weirdo. These Seven Sages are becoming more and more of a joke." He thought to himself.

Nepgear was also disappointed.

"He's a cool-looking robot and all, but underneath the tech, he seems like a real loser." Pointed out Nepgear.

"Whoa. Nepgear's passion is cooling down faster than my hot pockets." Said Neptune.

Noire was starting to lose her patience.

"What's your game? Why are you messing with my nation?" She asked.

"That's because… I love you, Noire." Replied Anonydeath.

His statement came like a punch to the face to Lelouch and caused a huge ruckus among the CPUs.

"Uh… what?" Noire wasn't sure she heard right.

"Wooooow, a real confession…!" Plutia was overjoyed.

"Wh-Wh-What did you just-?" Noire was starting to grasp the meaning of his statement.

"That raven black hair, those sexy and taut twintalis… A mature face that still glows with innocence… That contrary attitude and having hints of otakudom… Mmmm! You are a straight ball into my strike zone!" Said Anonydeath.

Lelouch felt really confused. On one hand he didn't care about this Noire as much, but on the other he felt like this strange mech was trying to force himself on the girl and he really loathed things like that.

"What the hell're you saying?! What does that have to do with being a super hacker?!" Asked Noire, completely lost and embarrassed.

"Well, shy nerds like me tend to tease the girl they like, no? This is that!" Replied happily the hacker.

"C-Congrats, Noire. In this dimension, you not only have a friend, but a boyfriend." Neptune joked, nervous from the situation.

"He's never going to be my boyfriend! Why would you like me if your heart is pure like a maiden or whatever?!" Noire yelled.

"When it comes to love, I am pure. Purity is innocence, so what's wrong with an innocent love between girls?" Explained the hacker.

"There's a lot of stuff wrong with this situation!" Yelled Noire.

"Mmmm… I would watch you work day after day through my secret cameras and I never once grew bored… You were so cute, sitting at your desk, holding back your tears of frustration while trying your best…" Anonydeath remembered his fun time watching Noire.

"The kind of fans Noire gets are, um…" Nepgear was at a loss for words.

"I call these weird fans the fungus amongus. This is proof that they thrive in Noire's presence." Said Neptune.

"Nuh-uh! Shut up! This one's an outliner!" Noire was angered from their comments.

Lelouch looked at the girl suspiciously, but she noticed him.

"What do you want?! Have something to add to this conversation!?" She told him, irritated.

"No, I was just curious about something, that's all." He replied turning away from the girl.

Anonydeath continued with his activity.

"Oh, and the times when you'd pose in front of the mirror for fun, or when you'd dress up in cosplay outfits… That faint smile on your face as you'd check your external hard drive. I love it all!" Said the hacker, creeping everybody out.

"Ahhhh! No! NONONONONO!" Noire screamed in shame.

The other girls backed away from Noire.

"Noire, do you really do all of that?" asked Nepgear disappointed.

"Don't talk to her right now. She's a bad influence. Nepgear, try to keep your distance from her, ok?" said Neptune.

"I… I don't do those things! He's making those things up! I'd… I'd never do…" Noire's excuse was cut off.

"I don't get what was all that bad that he said." Lelouch added to the conversation.

"Of course you don't, Lulu. You're a boy, after all." Looked at him Neptune, disappointed.

Anonydeath took Noire's words to heart.

"Oh, my aching heart! If you say such stubborn things, I'll broadcast all my video data worldwide!" Declared the hacker.

"What?! S-Stop it! Please, anything but that!" Begged Noire.

"I kid. I would never waste my data like that. I'm keeping those videos aaaaall to myself…" He gigled.

"Ugh… this guy wins the prize. He's the worst villain we've faced by a wide margin." Mumbled Noire.

Lelouch overheard her and couldn't help but think how pathetic the criminals in this dimension were. If a guy with questionable sexuality was a terrifying villain, he couldn't imagine those girls going through the horrors that he had.

"Mmm, what a delightful expression! Nothing beats seeing the real thing. Webcams pale in comparison!" Exclaimed happily Anonydeath.

Plutia was starting to get angry from the whole situation.

"Awwww, heeey… You're not allowed to tease Noire…" She snarled.

"Plutia…" Noire was happy that she was standing up for her.

The other three were a bit confused from Plutia's behavior and knew that something was up.

"Oh, why's that? It would be such a waste not to tease who is such an easy, tempting target." Hummed the hacker.

"Well, yeeeeah, I know that…" Plutia's voice was starting to get threateningly low.

"You do?!" Noire was shocked.

"Oh man, I believe Plutie's switch is about to get toggled on…" Neptune fretted.

"Here we go again." Lelouch sighed.

"But, ummmm, there's only one person who's allowed to tease her…" Plutia transformed.

"And that is ME!" Declared Iris Heart.

"Great, she's here again." Lelouch grumbled at the sight of the dominatrix.

"As I thought." Neptune became scared for life.

"Sh-She's appeared again… This Plutia is so, so scary…" Nepgear was terrified.

The Nep siblings ran behind Lelouch for cover. Normally he would complain, but he understood their worries, since he personally didn't enjoy the woman's presence as well.

"Ooh, frightening. I figured we could get along as kindred spirits…" Sighed Anonydeath.

"Unfortunately, I'm quite possessive. Noire, Neppy, Neppy Jr and Lulu… They are ALL mine!" Declared Iris Heart.

Lelouch didn't like her attitude, as he wasn't no one's plaything, but decided to keep his complaints to himself.

"W-We gotta transform and protect ourselves, kid sis of mine!" Said Neptune nervously.

"R-Right!" Agreed Nepgear.

The two girls transformed, while Lelouch slightly turned his head around to be able to see them from the corner of his eye.

"You think you can stop her?" Asked Lelouch.

"No, but at least in these forms, our personalities are more able to resist her." Said Purple Heart.

"Aww… But I don't change much…" Nepgear was worried.

"Goodie, everyone transformed! I like that you all show more skin, but the cute factor has gone down." Anonydeath commented and then turned to Lelouch.

"What about you, handsome? Are you a CPU, too?" Asked the hacker.

"Tch, take a guess." The dark haired boy clicked his tongue, as he wasn't exactly liking the attention of the hacker.

"Ooh, ok then. I like it when people are hard to understand, but still… It's quite obvious that you are a CPU as well. There is no other logical explanation as to why you were capable of the feats you did. Anyway, why aren't you transforming?" Anonydeath was curious.

"Bravo for guessing correctly, and as for your question… Let's just say that you and all of your buddies are way bellow my league." Smirked Lelouch.

"Ooh, you're the confident type with high self-esteem. It's no wonder that you got in a fight with him." Said Anonydeath cheerfully.

"Him?" Lelouch was confused for a moment until he remembered the brown haired boy from Leanbox.

"Ah, I remember who you are talking about. Tell me, who is that person." Lelouch said.

"And ruin all the fun later on? That'd be so boring, don't you think?" Said the hacker.

Lelouch became irritated at the fact that if the man wasn't with the mech suit, he would be able to use his Geass on him and get the information that he needed.

Anonydeath returned his attention to Noire, who was about to transform.

"Noire, could you pretty please stay in your normal form for me?" asked Anonydeath.

"No. As if I'd listen to any request you'd make!" Declared Noire, as she transformed.

"You've invaded my privacy, so I need to pay you back in spades!" Said Black Heart.

"Aww, I don't like this one… Her hair turned all white, too…" Anonydeath complained.

"How sad. Your lust for Noire is that shallow, is it? For tormenting what belongs to me without permission, you'll be punished quite severely." Grinned Iris Heart.

"I can't wait for it! While I love to dish it out, I'm into taking it sometimes, too!" replied Anonydeath, engaging some machinery behind him.

"Don't hold back, Plutia! Break him down!" Ordered Noire.

"Mmm, Noire gave me the go-ahead… Not like I was planning to hold back anyway." Iris Heart was overjoyed.

"If those two take things too far, it's up to us to stop them." Pointed out Neptune.

"Don't fret yourself. I can handle two unruly girls, no sweat." Replied Lelouch, crossing his arms.

"I believe it would add more spice if I resisted, no?" said Anonydeath, sending a bunch of sentries at the CPUs.

Lelouch and Nepgear dodged, while Neptune and Noire slashed through the sentries.

Plutia swung with her whip blade, thrashing some of the sentries in the process.

Anonydeath used the reaming ones to form a barrier around himself, but Noire had other plans.

Her sword started to glow intensely, until it was enveloped in energy.

"Tornado Sword!" Noire slashed with her weapon.

All of the sentries were crushed by the energy wave. Anonydeath was now open for attack.

"Void Rupture." Lelouch slashed at the hacker, causing him and the rest of the lab behind him great damage, as cuts started to appear everywhere.

Anonydeath was sent to the ground in pain.

"Ow, ow, owwww… I give up! Okay, I surrender!" He said, raising his hands in the air.

"Finished already? Pathetic." Remarked Iris Heart, who then turned her attention to Lelouch.

She gave him a playful smile and a wink, to which Lelouch returned a shrug and turned away from the woman.

"I told you I'm more of a behind-the-scenes type. So much barbaric action doesn't suit me." Said Anonydeath.

"You better prepare to be destroyed." Said Noire.

"Really now? I suppose the beautiful are said to die young, and dying by my lover's hand isn't so bad…" Replied the hacker.

"Hmph. I won't give you that honor. Plutia, go ahead… Plutia?" Noire turned around to see the girl to be in Lelouch's face.

"I-I told you to back off already! Don't make me get serious!" Lelouch threatened her, as he leaned back, trying to avoid contact with her skin.

"When you resist like this, it only makes me want to torment you more, my sweet Lulu…" Iris Heart licked her lips.

"Plutie, knock it off already. Leave Lelouch alone. I know it's fun to tease him when he's like this, but we've got other things to do now." Said Purple Heart, trying to break the two up.

"Tch." Plutia clicked her tongue.

Lelouch stared at Neptune, not sure if he wanted to punch her in the face or thank her for dealing with the problem.

Plutia returned her attention to Noire and Anonydeath.

"Hmm. Torturing those who don't fight back isn't very fun, but if Noire asks me, I cannot refuse her…" Said Iris Heart.

"Ahh, how horrible! You won't even grant my final request…" Anonydeath was shocked.

"I feel like we're starting to become the bullies, somehow…" Said Nepgear.

"Stay quiet. At times like this, it's best to not get involved." Advised her Neptune.

"That's how it is. Ready…?" Iris Heart was prepared to deal the finishing blow.

"It's a trivial matter, but if I die, all of my Noire footage will be broadcast worldwide." Mumbled Anonydeath intentionally.

Lelouch chuckled after he heard him, realizing where the hacker was going with this.

"True. That's a very trivial and rather exciting matter now…" Iris Heart was interrupted.

"W-Wait! Just a second!" Halted her Noire, realizing in how much danger her dignity was.

"What is it? You say to go, and then you say to stop…" Plutia complained.

"You just let a completely outrages threat slip out, didn't you?!" Noire accused Anonydeath.

"How is it outrageous? I wrote a program to do that, is all." Replied the hacker.

Lelouch couldn't help but enjoy how he was playing Noire for a fool. The girl wasn't the brightest tool when it came to figuring out lies.

"Why would you program something like that?!" Noire panicked.

"Because if I am to die, I'd like the one I love to watch over me and I watch her… That's why I decided it would be a lovely time to let everyone see what I saw in you, as I move on…" Replied Anonydeath.

"Wh… Wh… What?!" Noire became terrified at the thought of the whole world witnessing her privacy.

"Nepgear, can you stop that program?" asked Neptune.

"I'm not that big on software… I'm more of a hardware girl…" Replied Nepgear, unfortunately with a poor choice of words.

"Hmm? Is someone tossing around words like 'soft' and 'hard'? Share with the class, if you would." Said Plutia, taking interest in the conversation.

"Eeeep! I-It's not the kind of discussion you'd find interesting, Plutia, I promise!" Nepgear became nervous.

Noire was on the verge of having a mental break down, as she had started to tear up.

"Ugghhh… Just go." She murmured, unwillingly.

"Hmm? What? Did you say something?" Asked Anonydeath.

"I'll let you go this time, so hurry up and run away!" Yelled Noire.

Lelouch didn't care to stop the hacker's escape, as he couldn't use his Geass on him without tearing up the armor first.

"Really? You're such a sweetie! I've fallen for you even harder, my angelic Noire." Replied the hacker.

Plutia was displeased from the development.

"Oh, how boring. I was excited at the thought of Noire becoming the laughingstock of the whole world…" Complained Iris Heart.

"Don't even joke about that!" retorted Noire angrily.

"I think I shall accept your offer." Anonydeath got up and was about to leave when he turned back to Noire. "Oh, and Noire, one last thing."

"What? There's something else!?" Noire was at her limit.

"Don't worry. The program thing was a big, fat fib." Said the hacker, causing utter confusion within Noire's being.

"What?" Noire was in a state of realization with a priceless face of confusion.

"I already told you that precious footage is for my eyes only! Okay, ta-ta!" Anonydeath left.

There was a three second gap before Noire exploded in anger.

"W-Wait, dammit! Ugh! You better be ready to die the next time we meet!" Raged Noire at the now gone Anonydeath.

The hacker was walking down a secret escape route.

"Dear me, I lost. Oh well, at least I was able to stall for the time I needed…" He said.

Back with the CPUs, everyone had returned to their human forms. Noire was still super pissed off about everything that had transpired.

"Man! So frustrating! What was UP with that guy!?" She raged.

"I believe it had more to do with the fact that you are too gullible." Pointed out Lelouch.

"I don't need your opinion!" Retorted Noire, still angry.

"He totally pulled a fast one on you. I guess you're no match for a smart fella like that fella." Joked Neptune.

"Don't talk about me like I'm dumb! It's extra insulting coming from you!" Said Noire.

"Then would you like me to do so?" Asked Lelouch with a smirk, gaining a glare from the girl.

"You two, stop teasing Noire already…" Said Plutia.

"He got away… I wonder if we'll have to face him again, eventually…" said Nepgear.

"Just putting this out there, but the Seven Sages are a joke. The only thing they are capable of doing is pissing all of you off. None of them are exceptionally strong, a normal CPU could beat them, and they don't even work as a group. Honestly, none of this is even worth my time." Shrugged Lelouch.

"Well, look on the bright side Lulu, none of them are out to destroy the world or anything." Joked Neptune, failing to realize that she touched a nerve.

"Come again." Lelouch said, his expression darkening.

"S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean it like that." Apologized Neptune, scared.

"I'm tired… I wanna go and take a nap…" Said Plutia.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted, too." Added Noire.

"Okay, let's go nap it out!" Declared Neptune.

Everyone returned to the Basilicom. Night time had fallen and Lelouch was preparing to go to bed in his room. He had gone to take a shower and was now brushing his teeth. When he finished he headed to his room to change into his sleepwear.

While he did that, for some reason, he felt anxious.

"Why do I get the feeling that tomorrow will be a long day?" He sighed and went to sleep.

* * *

 **Before i leave things be, i just want to say that i'm drained and i'm sure that this chapter wasn't my best work and i apologize for that. Today there were just too many things going on for me. I probably won't be writing tomorrow, though i guess it'll depend on whether or not i'll have the motivation to do so. Anyway, sorry for me being so anti-climatic. Thank you for reading and a nice day to all of you!**


	42. Crimes call for hellish punishment

**Whew, I'm back! Sorry for my lack of motivation the previous days, but i really needed the brake to get things sorted out in my head. That said, however, now i'm reinvigorated and am as good as new :D! Anyway, enough of me, let's get on with the story, go!**

Chapter 42: Crimes call for hellish punishment

After waking up in the morning, everyone was refreshed. Lelouch along with Nepgear helped Noire to finish with the paperwork, while Neptune and Plutia were playing on the console in the tsundere's room. An hour or so passed and they were finished.

They set off back to Planeptune. On the way back they were rejoined by Blanc and Vert. Reaching the Basilicom, Neptune opened the door and entered along with the rest.

"Phew, all done. I didn't know what was gonna happen when all those phones did the ringing thing at once." Said cheerfully Neptune, sitting on the couch in the room.

"We did soooomething…" Added Plutia, joining her friend.

"I just hope things remain quiet for a while." Said Nepgear.

"Who can say? It seemed to me that they were all prepared to show up again without much pause." Vert gave her thoughts on the matter.

"I'd welcome another attack. I'll snap their necks the next time I see them!" Stated Noire.

"How careless for you to have let them escape twice. I at least hold one on leash." Said Blanc, disappointed from Vert and Noire.

Lelouch was looking around the room, feeling like something was off.

"You know, guys. You don't have to come over here every time you wanna hang out. You all get lonely easy, huh?" Said Neptune.

"Isn't it fun to be with everyone, Neppy…?" Asked Plutia.

"Well sure, buddy. But relaxing all alone is cool sometimes, too. Alone in the dark, silent hills…" Neptune thought for a moment, before making a joke.

"Like Lulu! He's the epitome of tranquility, look, he isn't even paying attention to us, living in the collected dimension of his consciousness." Pointed Neptune to the boy who was still looking around the room.

As if realizing that they were talking about him, Lelouch turned to the girls.

"Where are the kids and Histoire?" He asked, realizing what was missing from the picture.

"Huh? Now that you mention it… Where could they have gone off to?" Asked Neptune, confused from the situation.

"I wonder… Can Histoire really look after three kids by herself?" Noire puzzled.

Suddenly, right on cue, Histoire stormed in the room, in all her miniature glory.

"Everyone, it's an emergency!" She screamed.

"What the goodness?! I've never seen Histoire so flustered before…" Nepgear reacted to the oracle's appearance.

And she had a point. The small blond girl with pixie wings looked like she had been trekking in a jungle.

"Calm down, Histoire. Tell us what's happened." Said Lelouch.

"Taken! The Seven Sages have taken the children!" Replied Histoire, panicking.

"WHAAAT?!" The girls panicked.

"Everything happened just a few minutes before you returned. They forced their way in and took the children! They then taped me inside of my precious tome and tossed me in the thrash. Thankfully, for some reason, a young man got me out and asked me what had happened here. When I finished explaining to him, he took off to somewhere." Said Histoire.

"Noooo waaaay…! Wh-What should we doooo…?" Plutia was worried about the children.

"Targeting children… What a terrible thing to do…" Nepgear was disgusted from how low the Seven Sages had stooped.

Lelouch, on the other hand, was trying his best to not bust a vein. He was extremely angry, as his fists were clenched and his face had become filled with wrath.

"Damn them!" He yelled, furious, images of his younger sister flashing in his head.

The others shared in his anger and were dedicated to crush the Seven Sages for this detestable deed.

"If it happened a few minutes ago, there's still a chance we can catch them. Do you know which way they went?" Noire asked the oracle.

"U-Um… I believe I heard them mention taking a path to Lowee…" Replied the oracle, desperate to remember any details she could.

"Let us be on our way, then. If we let them slip through our fingers now, this will prove quite difficult!" said Vert, as everyone rushed off.

Lelouch had become quite enraged.

"If anything happens to those girls, I'll show what true terror means to these clowns!" He thought, while running with the rest of the CPUs towards the path which led to Lowee.

After a while the CPUs arrive at the mountain range that connected Planeptune to Lowee.

"They probably took this road. Not like I can be certain, though." Said Blanc.

"We don't have the time to second guess!" Said Lelouch, angrily, wanting for everyone to hurry as for him every second that those children were out of his sights was like a time-bomb, waiting to detonate his hatred and wrath.

"Awww… I hope the kids are okay…" Plutia was deeply worried.

"They will, cause we're going to rescue them." Nepgear tried to stay positive.

Further down the road, Arfoire and Warechu were with the kidnapped IF and Compa. They came at a crossroad and stopped.

"We'll split here." Said Arfoire.

"Right. Don't be a chump and let the kid get away from you or something." Agreed the rat.

"I'm not as inept as you. Come along, child." Arfoire tugged IF.

"No! Leggo! Lemme go!" IF struggled against the woman's pull, which only angered her.

"Silence! Continue to whine and I will rip your tongue out! Dammit… Why do I have to do this…?" Complained Arfoire, after threatening IF.

Compa, who was with the rat, was worried about IF.

"Iffy!" She yelled to the other girl.

"Compa! Waaah! Lemme go, granny!" IF continued to struggle desperately, as Arfoire pulled her off down one of the roads.

Compa was left alone with the mouse and started to cry.

"Waaah! Iffy!" She cried.

"Aw, don't cry, chu. How can you not smile when you get to look at such an adorable mascot, chu?" Warechu tried to calm down the girl.

"Waaah! There aren't any cute mascots here!" continued to cry Compa.

"Yeah there is! Right here in your face, chu!" The rat felt insulted.

"*hic* You're a cute mascot, Mister Mouse?" Asked Compa, calming down somewhat.

"Right! In the rodent world, there are two amazing mascots, but I'm proud to say I'm number three!" Boasted Warechu.

"But but, you stole us… Only bad people steal!" Argued Compa.

"I'm not a bad person! I'm a bad rodent, chu!" Declared proudly the rat.

"Waah! So you ARE bad!" Compa returned to crying.

"Ahh, son of a… If this kid keeps wailing, I'll be a disgrace as a mascot. Besides…" Warechu was at a loss at what to do and looked at the crying girl.

Her face was full of tears, sad and scared. This caused the rat to falter about making a decision.

"When I see this little kid in tears, I get a funny feeling around the general heart area. What'll I do…?" Warechu continued to worry.

"I don't wanna be here! I wanna go home!" continued to cry Compa.

"Gaaah! Why's my conscience trying so hard to torture me, chu?!" The rat was seriously starting to lose it. (Better your conscience than the approaching angry CPUs :/)

"But when I think about it, we only need one kid as a hostage… That ain't too hard to do, right…?" The rat was thinking over an idea that came up to him.

Compa continued to cry.

"Okay, okay, cut out the waterworks. I'll take you back to the Basilicom now, all right?" Surrendered Warechu.

"Huh? Really…?" Compa paused her crying.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go." Said the rat, as it and the girl started walking the way back.

"…Thank you, Mister Mouse. You're a nice mouse, after all." Said happily Compa.

"Ack! That beaming smile and those twinkling eyes! Wh-What is this?! C-Could this feeling be… love?!" The mouse was captivated by the girl's happiness.

Then, from down the road, a voice came.

"Found one! Compa!" Yelled Neptune.

"Chu! Th-They're already here?!" Warechu was shocked.

"Yay! It's Nep-Nep!" Compa waved happily.

Everyone ran up to the rat and girl.

"Looks like we picked the right path." Remarked Noire, narrowing her eyes at the rodent.

"That's a relief. Wait. Where are the other kids?" Asked Nepgear, not seeing the others.

This didn't help Lelouch calm down his temper. In fact, seeing only one of the children, made him even more angry.

"Naughty Mister Rat… You stole our children…" Plutia's expression darkened.

Catching sight of the angry faces of the CPUs, especially Plutia's, made the rat lose all of his self-confidence.

"I… I didn't take them! I was just…" He was trying to think up an excuse, before Compa covered for him.

"Plu-Plu, Mister Mouse is nice. He was gonna take me home!" Explained the small girl.

"Oh… He waaaaaas…?" Plutia was confused.

"She saved me… this little girl covered for me and saved me. She really is my guardian angel!" The mouse thought grateful for her aid.

"But but, Iffy and Pea were taken away by some grumpy old lady!" Added Compa.

"Quite an elaborate scheme to use multiple suspects and split up." Vert was angered.

"Which way did the woman go?" Asked Blanc with a threatening tone.

"Uh, sorry, but there's no way I can tell you broads that much…" tried to resist the rat.

"But Mister Rat… You'll tell us anyway, riiight…?" asked cheerfully Plutia.

"She went straight ahead, up that path." Warechu was completely terrified of the airheaded girl, as he pointed them down the road which Arfoire had taken.

"Awwww, how helpful of you… Let's go, everyone…!" Said Plutia, as she and the girls took Compa from the rat and went down the road.

Lelouch, however, stayed behind. When the girls were out of hearing range, he got closer to the mouse.

"If you think that Plutia is terrifying, then you don't know what hell is awaiting you if any of the other girls come to harm." He glared at the mouse, causing it to completely freeze in place from fear.

Lelouch ran after the girls.

Warechu was left terrified.

"T-That guy… I don't think I wanna meet with him again…" Muttered the rat.

Lelouch eventually caught up with the girls, as they hurried down the path.

Arfoire was still having trouble reigning IF in.

"Lemme go! Let go, you stupidhead!" IF Still tried to pull away from the woman.

"Ouch! Stop struggling, you little brat! If you don't stop squirming, I'll-" Arfoire's threat was interrupted by IF.

"If you beat me up, you'll get caught and go to jail! Bad stuff happens to people in jail, y'know!" Argued IF.

"And who, pray tell, will catch me? Those CPUs you play with?" chuckled Arfoire.

"Uh-huh! Nep will… no, she's kinda stupid, so she won't do it… Plutia will… naw, she's always spacing out or something… Nepgear?... She's too unreliable…" IF eliminated options one by one, until she reached a solid constant.

"Lelouch will get you! He will make you wanna regret you ever touched us!" Stated the girl, full of conviction.

"Lelouch? Is that the name of the boy in black and gold?" Arfoire was confused.

"Yeah, everyone'll come and definitely rescue me! Definitely!" Said IF.

"I said…" Arfoire was about to raise her hand against the child, until she heard running coming from the path that they had gone through.

"Tch. They're here. They came, just as you said." Sighed Arfoire.

"Huh?" IF turned around to see the whole group of CPUs run up to them.

"Score, we caught up!" said Neptune satisfied.

"Iffy…!" Plutia called out to IF.

"IF!" Nepgear did as well.

"Nep, you came!" Said happily IF.

Lelouch, however, wasn't especially relieved at the sight of the girl in the older woman's hands. His temper was reaching a boiling point, as he narrowed his anger filled gaze at the woman.

"Oh well, if they've come this way, then that means the rat was able to get away…" Said Arfoire, until she noticed Compa's presence.

"Wait! What is that brat doing here?!" Arfoire was shocked.

"Your rat friend handed her over without a fight" Smirked Noire.

"He also informed us in a polite tone which direction you headed in." Gloated Vert.

"…That damn rat!" Arfoire was mad.

"Kidnapping children… What a despicable new low for the Seven Sages…" Sneered Blanc.

"I agree. I wasn't onboard with the plan anyway." Said Arfoire.

"Then return IF to us. If you do, I might consider sparing your life." Said Lelouch with a dark gaze.

"How dare you threaten me! Ugh! All this stress will give me wrinkles!" Complained Arfoire.

"You want the brat? If you manage to defeat me, she's all yours!" Said Arfoire, pulling IF

"Our numbers keep increasing, and yet you think you can win? I'm legit angry this time, y'know!" Declared Neptune.

"I will never be defeated by the likes of you!" Growled Arfoire.

"I don't like to use this form, but today, I think I'll face you with all my strength." Smirked Arfoire.

"Compa, go hide somewhere safe." Ordered Lelouch.

"O-Ok." The girl did as she was told and ran a good distance away, hiding behind a big pile of rocks.

"Let it begin… Once you see my final form… You'll know your days are numbered!" Declared Arfoire, transforming.

She became a huge monster and roared at the CPUs.

The form was instantly recognized by Lelouch, as it was the beast form of the Deity of Sin that was created when it had reawakened.

The girls were surprised at the sight.

"Wh-What? Nooo… Scary…" IF was starting to tear up.

"IF, back away as well!" Lelouch raised his voice, causing the girl to get a hold of herself and do like she was told without asking questions.

"C'mon guys, let's show her our final form, too!" Said Neptune, as she and the other girls transformed.

"Good. Is everyone ready?" Asked Purple Heart.

Plutia was growling on the side.

"Plutia? What are you doing? Transform already!" Said Noire.

"Hehehe… Hahahaha… What is that thing? It's soooo disgusting." Laughed maniacally Plutia.

The other CPUs became worried from hearing her statement.

"H-Hey. That speech pattern… Those mannerisms…" White Heart was frightened of what was to come.

"Ahahaha… This is really bad. I'm so angry, I think I'm getting mixed up…" Plutia continued her speech.

"Wh-What is going on?" Green Heart was terrified.

"I… don't know… She's never acted like this before…" Said Nepgear frightened, only to look at the side and notice that the dark haired CPU wasn't any better.

The anger was clearly written on his face, as Lelouch's body was emitting some red lightning around itself. Some of the red aura was seeping from him as well, only adding to his terrifying image. Unlike Plutia, he didn't speak, he channeled all the anger into raw power.

"Plutie, pull yourself together. Right now we need to-" Neptune was cut off.

"Uh-huuuuuh, I know… This woman will accept all of my bottled up rage, riiight…?" Said Plutia with a malicious grin, as she was engulfed by light and transformed.

"It would be such a shame if she died before I got it all out! Ahahaha… Hahahahaha!" Laughed maniacally Iris Heart.

Lelouch looked up, opening his wrath filled eyes.

"You know, even I agree with you this time." He said, being engulfed in a light.

When it dispersed, Lelouch was standing in his HDD, all of his aura seeping out of him. His Geass shone brightly, fueled by his rage.

"It's over for you. I tried to give you a chance to evade this route, but now that it's come to this, prepare for a hellish nightmare!" Dark Heart raised his voice his expression brimming with anger.

The monstrous Arfoire was somewhat taken aback by the two enraged CPUs.

"Wow, it's no laughing matter when your friends are more terrifying than your enemy." Pointed out Blanc.

"Wh-What should we do? I don't think that even the five of us can stop Plutia this time, and I don't even want to think about Lelouch…" Said Noire frightened from the situation.

"Both of them are exceedingly large sources of strength. Perhaps it'd be best if we stood back and protected the kids from the fight?" Asked Neptune.

"I can't… I can't contain my fury any longer. It's fine, right? I can do anything I want, right?" Asked Plutia with a malicious smile.

"Yes, we won't stop you." Said Purple Heart.

"Just don't get in my way." Growled Dark Heart, as he vanished and reappeared in front of the monster.

He kicked it away, materializing his sword in his hand.

"Void Sever!" He slashed towards Arfoire, creating a huge cut and a shockwave from it.

Iris Heart jumped in with her whip blade electrified and started barraging Arfoire.

"Ahahahaha! Take this and this!" She laughed maniacally, as she continued attacking relentlessly.

The monster was sent flying a few feet by her last swing. Lelouch walked past Plutia and was headed towards the downed monster.

"You'll have to wait your turn. This pray is mine." Said Iris Heart, making Lelouch turn his head slightly to her, so that only his left eye could be visible to her.

"Try to keep up then." He said with a cold tone and face as he returned his attention to the monster.

It was getting up and was growling when he raised his empty hand towards it.

"Dark Blast!" The dark energy blast fired off from his palm and engulfed Arfoire.

Plutia grinned, as she became surrounded by dark pink aura. She immediately charged straight for the wounded Arfoire and sent her flying with a slice from her weapon.

Lelouch's attention moved to the girl, noticing that she had learned to control some of her aura and use it offensively.

"Since when can you do that?" He asked.

"Oh please, I saw Neppy do it and you are constantly using it, so it was a piece of cake to figure out and put into practice." Smiled maliciously Iris Heart.

The other CPUs looked at the two who were fighting, terrified, from the sidelines. Neptune became extremely concerned that Plutia was becoming stronger. Compa was too far away to make things out, but IF didn't have that luck. The little girl was starting to get terrified from the two CPUs.

Arfoire wasn't even left a chance to get up, as the two mad CPUs were staring her down furiously and were preparing to strike her again.

Lelouch and Plutia both readied their weapons.

"You better not slow me down." Said Lelouch, before dashing for the monster, followed by Plutia, who grinned at his comment.

The two slashed it a few times and then kicked her away. Dark Heart swung his blade, tearing apart the landscape before him, combined with Iris Heart's electrical attack.

When their combination struck Arfoire, it finally brought her out of the monster form and down on her knees. She was covered in wounds from the two's onslaught and was panting heavily.

"Gah! Damn it, damn it all! I lost even after exposing that form?!" Arfoire was enraged from her defeat.

"IF, return to the others." Lelouch said while staring at Arfoire.

The girl did as she was told, for she didn't want to incur the wrath of any of the two who fought.

Plutia, on the other hand, seemed to be satisfied from the experience and moved her attention over to IF.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Iffy…" She said, while turned around to face the girl.

"Eep!... P-Plutia…?" IF was terrified.

"Hmhmhmh. Wait just a bit longer. There's something else I need to finish first." Smiled the sadistic CPU, returning her attention to the downed Arfoire.

Arfoire was trying to get herself up, but without much success.

"No, this doesn't end here… Next time, I'll definitely…!" Arfoire's attempts were interrupted.

"Just a moment. You didn't happen to think that I'd forgive you that easy, did you?" Asked Plutia with a malicious smile.

"Wh-What!?" Arfoire was shocked.

"You touched my precious belongings. As punishment, you will have to take in ALL of my overflowing rage." Iris Heart narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"No… wait…" Arfoire tried to reason with her.

"No more waiting." Iris Heart licked her lips and started to barrage Arfoire with her whip blade.

The woman screamed from the attacks, while Plutia laughed hysterically. IF started to cry from seeing the display. Nepgear and Neptune tried to get in front of IF, as an attempt to prevent her from seeing Plutia's handiwork. The other CPUs were reluctant to go and stop her.

"You, go stop her." Said White Heart to Nepgear.

"Who, me?! N-No way! I can't!" Panicked Nepgear.

"Uh, guys. I think things are about to get worse." Said Black Heart, noticing something.

Lelouch started walking towards Plutia and Arfoire with an emotionless and cold face. When he got next to the two, he grabbed Plutia by the shoulder and forcefully pulled her away from Arfoire.

"Hey! I'm not done with her! Do you want to become an outlet for my rage, Lulu?" Said Iris Heart, angered that she was interrupted.

"Quiet down and just watch. There's still something that we need to hear from this woman before you break her." Said Dark Heart glaring at the violet haired CPU.

He turned around to the struggling Arfoire. She was now with even more wounds from Plutia's harassing. His face was emotionless, as he grabbed her by the head and picked her up. Before Arfoire could make out a word, he delivered a heavy blow to her gut, causing the woman to cough up some blood.

"Now then, since I have your attention, tell me where's Peashy." He said, but Arfoire wasn't able to make out an answer.

This only angered him more.

"I said, WHERE IS PEASHY?!" He raised his voice, the Geass activating and entrancing the beat up woman.

"I don't know…" Replied the entranced Arfoire.

Lelouch was at his limit.

"Then I have no further use for you." Dark Heart said, as he threw Arfoire at one of the wall of rocks.

The gothic dressed woman crashed into the rocks. The dark CPU walked over to her and picked her up by the neck. His eyes were filled with hatred. He raised his right hand and clenched his fist.

"Lelouch, no!" Neptune tried to stop him from dealing the final blow, but was unsuccessful.

To her surprise, Lelouch didn't drive his fist into the woman, but to the rock formation behind her, causing it to crack into ruble. The man with spiky black hair let the woman drop on the ground and let out a sigh, calming himself down.

The CPUs were relieved that Lelouch calmed down, but Plutia was deeply unsatisfied.

"What, that's it? She hasn't even taken half the punishment she deserves." Complained Iris Heart.

Lelouch turned around to her and gave her a serious look.

"We're done here. There's a more important task awaiting us." He said, as he walked over to where everyone was.

"I think not, my dear Lulu. I'm not yet satisfied-" Plutia was grabbed by the neck.

Lelouch held her in his right hand and pulled her over to himself.

"If you compromise our search for Peashy, and something ends up happening to the girl, I will not hesitate to break you." He gave her a threatening glare.

Iris Heart wasn't exactly pleased with his statement, as she frowned at him, but decided to let things go.

"Fine." She clicked with her tongue.

"Good." Lelouch let her go and rejoined the others.

Plutia returned her attention to the crying IF.

"My darling little Iffy, Lulu didn't allow me to play…" She crawled up to the little girl and complained.

"N-No!" IF tried to back away, terrified.

"Today was scary, wasn't it? But don't worry, I taught the bad lady a lesson…" Continued Plutia, getting closer to the crying girl.

"Eep… *hic* Wah…" IF was trying her best to hold it in, as the scary woman approached her.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you happy to see me just like Neppy?" continued Iris Heart, failing to realize that the girl couldn't hold her fear in.

"W-W-Waaaah! WAHHH!" IF burst out into tears, terrified from the woman standing before her.

This caused Plutia to be taken aback.

"What? Why… is she crying?" She was confused.

"I sympathize with the poor girl." Said Vert.

"Plutie. You went too far." Said Neptune to her friend.

"Hmm? I did? But I just wanted Iffy to praise me…" Plutia was saddened.

IF continued to cry, as the others surrounded her. The other girls were trying to calm her down, while Plutia sulked. Even Compa rejoined them, confused as to why IF was crying.

The ruckus was too much for Lelouch, who was stressed from everything and was worried about the missing Peashy.

"I can't take it anymore! You're giving me such a headache!" He said, irritated.

He couldn't take it anymore as he walked over to IF and pushed the girls away. IF stared up at the tall man in black and red armor and paused her crying for a bit from confusion but then returned to it.

"Fall asleep." Lelouch's Geass activated on the little girl, who did as she was ordered to.

Peace and quiet having returned to the area, Lelouch let out a sigh of relief.

"Lelouch, you shouldn't use your Geass like that." Scolded him Purple Heart.

"I know, it's just that I couldn't put up with her crying anymore." Said Dark Heart, as he transformed back to his human form.

The others followed suite and everyone was back to normal.

Plutia was still sulking for traumatizing IF. Compa, on the other hand, was confused from IF's behavior. One minute the girl was crying her soul out, the next she was fast asleep.

"I don't get it…" Said the little girl.

"Don't worry about it, Compa." Smiled Nepgear.

"Anyway, we should get back to searching for P-ko!" Said Neptune.

"Yes, but that woman didn't seem to know where she is…" Lelouch pointed out and proceeded to think through the possibilities of where Peashy might be.

"This lady didn't take Pea! It was some other old lady!" Said Compa, giving some light on the situation, though not enough.

"Whaaat?!" Neptune was shocked.

Somewhere down a road, which lead from Planeptune to Lastation, Rei was walking with Peashy in hand. The girl was demanding candy from Rei.

"Hey, old lady! I'm hungry!" Stated Peashy.

"J-Just wait a bit longer, okay?" Replied a mentally exhausted Rei.

"Ugh, being called old by such a small child… Maybe I really am getting old…" Rei was depressed.

"Blah! You promised I'd get to eat lots of yummy candy! You said so!" Continued Peashy, throwing a fit.

"Ow, ow! That hurts! Please, stop flailing your arms! I'm sorry, okay?" Pleaded Rei.

"Ugh, what am I even doing? This is definitely wrong… I know it's wrong, but…" Rei was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a small dark skinned blond girl with black wings, floating over a book.

"Yo. Your face is as glum as ever." Greeted her Croire.

"Ack! D-Don't scare me like that… Appearing out of nowhere, jeez…" Rei was startled.

"Hahaha. Sorry, I guess. Looks like you're up to some pretty interesting stuff, so… here I am." Replied cheerfully Croire.

"Yes, and now that both of you are in one place, I have some questions that I want answered." Came a boy's voice.

The two turned around to the direction of the voice to find a brown haired boy with green eyes, dressed in white and gold, to be leaning against a tree.

"S-Suzaku!" Rei was startled from witnessing the boy's presence.

"Oh great, here comes the joy killer." Grunted Croire.

The boy walked over to the two and glared at them.

"What have you two been up to? Why are you kidnapping children, Rei?" He asked with a serious tone, glancing slightly at the small girl with Rei.

"T-This isn't… I can explain…!" Rei was nervous in making her reply.

"What is it? You're such a nag about everything." Croire complained to the boy.

"My conversation isn't with you right now. After Rei finishes, you're next." He glared at the dimension jumping girl.

"Y-You see, I'm not doing this because I want to. You know how easily I get dragged into things…" Said Rei.

"And? I take it this plan was devised by that hacker. Why have you resorted to unjust means again? I thought that you said that you wanted to make this world a place without CPUs to endanger people's lives. So, why?" Asked Suzaku, giving Rei a disappointed look.

"T-That's-" Rei was interrupted.

"Um, not wanting to interrupt or anything, but you should probably check what the tyke's doing behind your back." Pointed out Croire.

Rei and Suzaku looked at the girl who was holding a glowing crystal, which she had taken from Rei's purse in her search for candy.

"Is it food? Is it not food? Hmmm…" Peashy puzzled, until she decided to eat the glowing crystal.

Both Suzaku and Rei paled at the sight of the girl eating the crystal.

"No, no, no! You mustn't eat that!" Rei tried to stop the girl from swallowing the crystal, but was already too late.

Peashy felt strange.

"Uhhhh… Huh? Whooooa!" She was surrounded by light.

Suzaku and Rei were shocked to witness the small girl transform into a woman with long blond hair, white skinsuit, and most importantly (XD), giant chest.

"Huh?!" Suzaku's jaw dropped.

"Th-This can't be…" Rei was shocked.

"Ahahahaha! Amazing! This is even more interesting now!" Croire laughed her ass off.

The blond woman jumped and flew around, ecstatic about her new powers.

"Whee! Oh, I know! I should get home like this!" Said the blond girl, slamming her fist into her open palm with a face of realization.

Suzaku, having a brand new problem on his hands, wanted to make sure that the girl didn't hurt herself with her new powers.

"This talk will resume at a later time." He said to the confused Rei and the laughing Croire, as he ran after the flying girl.

Soon he managed to catch up to her, since she still wasn't used to her new form and wasn't flying very fast.

"Um, could you please come down?" He asked the girl, while running after her.

"Hm?" The blond girl turned to look at the running boy.

Curious, she descended to the ground, facing the young man.

"Thanks." He said, stopping in front of her, no fatigue from all the running around was seemingly present on him.

"Who are you?" Peashy tilted her head in curiosity.

"I'm Suzaku and I'll help you get home, but for that you'll have to transform back." He smiled at the girl.

"Huh? How do I do that?" Asked Peashy, confused.

Suzaku smiled at the girl.

"Let me help you with that. Negate." His eyes flared up with a blue symbol and Peashy was back to normal.

"Huh? I'm me again!?" the little girl was extremely confused.

"With that out of the way, let's get going. By the way, what's your name?" Asked Suzaku with a smile.

"It's Peashy!" Replied happily the girl.

"Well then, Peashy, let's get you home." Smiled the brown haired young man, as he and the girl headed back to the Planeptune Basilicom.

* * *

 **And, done! Wow this chapter came on the long end, huh. Anyway, Arfoire got bodied and Suzaku has come into the spotlight. I added a little more ruthlessness** **And, done! Wow this chapter came on the long end, huh. Anyway, Arfoire got bodied and Suzaku has come into the spotlight. I added a little more ruthlessness to Lelouch's character for this chapter, but he still had control over himself and held back at the end. I added the part of him threatening Plutia as a way to bring out his uncompromising personality. Anyway, with this, now that the two main players in this arc have come into place, the real action will start to take place! I'm kind of confused as to what to make Lelouch and Suzaku's relationship now that Suzaku is brought as a good guy and is helping the CPUs out by rescuing Peashy, concerning the fact that i had the two oppose each other in an earlier chapter, so i'd like to hear what you guys/girls think. Anyway, thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day :D!** **to Lelouch's character for this chapter, but he still had control over himself and held back at the end. I added the part of him threatening Plutia as a way to bring out his uncompromising personality. Anyway, with this, now that the main players in this arc have come into place, the real action will start to take place! I'm kind of confused as to what to make Lelouch and Suzaku's relationship now that Suzaku is brought in as a good guy and is helping the CPUs out by rescuing Peashy, concerning the fact that i had the two oppose each other in an earlier chapter, so i'd like to hear what you guys/girls think. Anyway, thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day :D!**


	43. Think we can start over?

Chapter 43: Think we can start over?

After searching for hours on end, the CPUs realized that there was no chance of them finding Peashy. They headed back to the Basilicom to report their failure to Histoire.

Along the way, everyone was glum, especially Plutia, who was still depressed from traumatizing IF, who had woken up at some point, but still kept her distance from Plutia with Compa next to her to try and calm her down.

"We couldn't find her, after all…" Nepgear said with a sad tone.

"I hope P-ko is okay. She acts tough, but she gets lonely easy. I hope they aren't picking on her…" Neptune was worried.

Lelouch was walking rather ahead of the whole group, his fast pace portraying his worry. The guilt of allowing a child to be abducted and failing to rescue it was eating at him. He was desperately trying to think up a way to resolve everything.

"Until we rescue her, Peashy will be surrounded by enemies…" Pointed out Vert.

Plutia started to cry.

"Awwww… I'm sorry, it's all my fault…" She sobbed.

"Don't get so gloomy, geez! Nothing good will come from your acting all depressed." Scolded her Noire.

"Yeah, but you're used to being alone, so you can say that kind of stuff to us!" Retorted Neptune.

"N-No, I'm not!" Replied Noire, flustered.

An argument was about to break loose, before Lelouch spoke.

"I want all of you to stop fighting. I'm worried, too, but I'm not yelling about it." He said in a calm voice, not even turning back to look at the girls.

Neptune and Noire slumped their heads down in shame.

"Ugh, you're right. I'm sorry. What am I gonna tell Histy?" Neptune apologized with a sad tone.

The group arrived back at the Basilicom. Neptune opened the door and greeted with a sad expression.

"Histy, we're home…" She said.

To her surprise, a small girl's happy voice came.

"Neptuna!" Said Peashy, ramming Neptune in the gut.

"Bwoooah?!" Neptune received a clean hit, her body shocked from the sudden surge of familiar pain.

"Ooogh, I think I'm gonna puke my insides out…" Neptune groaned, holding her stomach area.

"Hehehe! Welcome home!" Said happily Peashy.

Everyone was extremely surprised to see the small girl back at the Basilicom, as their expressions turned to those of bewilderment.

"Huh?! P-ko?!" Neptune yelled, not believing her eyes.

"Huuuuuh? But hooooow…?" Plutia was surprised.

"Um, that would be my fault." Came a boy's voice.

Everyone turned their heads towards the table, to see the familiar brown haired boy and Histoire sitting across each other. Histoire was with a beaming smile, while the boy waved at them.

"You?!" The CPUs were taken aback by the sight.

"Oh, everyone, this is so wonderful! I see that IF and Compa are also safe and sound." Said happily Histoire.

"What happened?" Lelouch was in utter confusion, unable to grasp the situation.

Peashy's smile popped up on her face, as she explained.

"The Mr. helped me get away from that old lady and get back home!" Stated the small blond girl with a triumphant expression.

"Yes. It was quite a surprise when the two of them returned." Added Histoire.

"Oh, reeeeally…? I'm soooo glad…" Said happily Plutia, hugging Peashy.

She then looked at the boy sitting on the table.

"Thank you very much, um…" Plutia stopped mid-sentence, because she didn't remember if knew the boy's name.

"The name's Suzaku. It's nice to meet all of you." Smiled the boy.

Lelouch couldn't help but feel suspicious about the boy. Still, he had rescued Peashy, so Lelouch was grateful to him and decided that he would save his questions for later.

"My name is Plutia… Thank you for rescuing Peashy…" Said happily the sleepy girl.

Before any of the other girls could introduce themselves, Suzaku gestured for them that there is no need for them to do so.

"Yeah, I know. All of you girls are CPUs, right? If I'm not mistaken, the miss with the twintails' name is Noire, CPU of Lastation, the short miss has to be Blanc of Lowee, and I believe that the blond lady over here is Vert, Leanbox's CPU." Smiled Suzaku.

The girls were taken aback, though Neptune was with a smirk on her face.

"I bet you don't know who I am!" She gloated.

Suzaku was with a puzzled expression.

"As a matter of fact, I don't." He replied.

"Hmhmh, feast your eyes on, me, the glorious protagonist of protagonists, Neptune!" the girl introduced herself.

Suzaku got confused from her statement, as he wasn't sure whether he should laugh or just ignore her.

"Hi, I'm Nepgear, Neptune's little sister. And these two are IF and Compa." Nepgear introduced herself and the other two girls.

"Wait, you're the younger sister?!" Suzaku was surprised.

"Come on, this is such an old gag!" Pouted Neptune.

Suzaku then turned his attention to the person he was actually most interested in.

Lelouch's gaze met the other boy's and the two stared at each other for a few seconds, before Suzaku extended his hand out for a handshake. The brown haired boy was with a smile on his face.

"If I recall correctly, you and I didn't start out in the most peaceful way, now did we? So, what do you say?" Smiled Suzaku at the dark haired boy.

Lelouch was scaling him from head to toe, in an attempt to figure the boy out. He came to the conclusion that Suzaku didn't harbor any ill intentions and shook his hand.

"Lelouch. Pleasure making your acquaintance." He replied blandly.

Suzaku, seemingly satisfied that the boy didn't hold a grudge about what had happened at Leanbox, smiled, as the two let go.

Lelouch was still suspicious of him, because he had a feeling in his gut that the boy was hiding something.

"Well, since all of you have returned, I'm afraid I'll have to be bidding you goodbye for now." Suzaku said, before he was stopped from leaving.

"Why are you leaving…?" Asked Plutia.

"Yeah, this occasion calls for a huge party and you're invited mister, whether you like it or not!" Declared Neptune with a triumphant phase.

Suzaku was reluctant to stay, but he decided that there couldn't be any harm in staying, could it?

"Well, I would've liked to get back to training, but I'll stay." He sighed in defeat and smiled at the girls.

The girls were happy to hear his decision.

"How about we have a sleepover here?" Suggested Noire.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. That way, I'll get to sleep with my adorable little sister." Said Vert, hugging Nepgear tightly.

"Please, Vert… We've been over this already…" Nepgear tried to break free.

"Yaaay… We're gonna sleep together all night…!" Plutia was brimming with joy.

"Terrific! That's six people, including Nep Jr. So let's all sleep in a line or pile or whatever!" Neptune was ecstatic.

Lelouch sighed from the girls' antics.

"Sleepover… Ugh, typical…" He thought in disappointment.

Suzaku, on the other hand, was deeply amused watching the girls.

Neptune then turned to the two boys.

"Sorry, but the two of you will be sleeping in a different room! We could allow you to join us, if you asked nicely." Declared Neptune with a smirk.

Sadly, the two boys didn't react the way she had hoped.

"Hmph, like I'd want to listen to your snoring." Lelouch shrugged.

"Sorry, but it'd be very uncomfortable to sleep in a room full of girls." Suzaku smiled nervously.

The purple haired girl was disappointed from their replies, as she had hoped to make a joke about them sleeping with the rest, but then a smile popped up on her face, an idea taking over her.

"Well, Suzaku, since you'll be joining the party, you need a cute nickname of your own!" Declared Neptune, who then got to thinking up one.

"Huh? I haven't said anything about staying with you." Suzaku tried to protest, but was ignored.

"I know…! How about Suzu…?" Suggested happily Plutia.

Suzaku was having mixed feelings about what was transpiring.

"Ooh, good one, Plutie! It's decided then! From today forth, you shall be known as Suzu!" Declared triumphantly Neptune.

"But I don't…" Suzaku was at a loss for words.

Lelouch was grinning from the side, enjoying the fact that he wasn't the only one suffering from Neptune's pranks.

"Cut the boy some slack, Neptune. You just met him." Sighed Noire.

"Oh, but I started calling Lulu by his nickname when I met him, too. Could it be, that you are jealous, Lonely Heart?" Teased her Neptune.

"A-As if!" retorted the tsundere.

The usual arguments and conversations ensued between the girls, while Peashy and Compa were trying to make IF calm down. As they watched the scene unfold, the trio of Lelouch, Suzaku and Histoire sat back at the table, with the oracle preparing some tea for them.

"What tea would you prefer?" She asked the two.

"Black for me." Lelouch said.

"I think I'll have green." Replied Suzaku.

The two continued to stare at the picture before them. Vert was hugging Nepgear against her will, Noire was threatening Neptune, while Blanc was conversing with Plutia.

"Are they always so lively?" Suzaku asked the other boy.

"Oh, you have no idea." Sighed Lelouch.

Histoire was done with the tea and served it on the table. The two boys took their cups and sipped from them. After that Suzaku placed his on the table and his face got serious.

"I apologize, but I will have to cut to the chase." Said the brown haired boy.

"By all means." Lelouch gestured for him to continue.

"What is it, Suzaku?" Asked him Histoire.

"I have a few questions that I would like answered. First off, are you Planeptune's oracle, Histoire?" Asked the boy.

Lelouch leaned back in his chair, interested to see what knowledge the other boy sought.

"Why yes, I am. Plutia over there is the CPU of Planeptune." Answered Histoire.

Suzaku turned to the girls and smiled sadly.

"They are blessed to have an oracle such as yourself." He said.

Lelouch got curious at his comment, but decided to let him finish.

"My second question is concerning Neptune, Nepgear and Lelouch." Said Suzaku, turning to Lelouch. "I'd like to hear more about the three of you."

Lelouch took another sip from his tea and put the cup on the table.

"I apologize for not answering, but I have questions of my own for you." Lelouch replied.

"Ah, I see. What might they be?" Asked Suzaku.

"For starters, who are you? You're clearly not an ordinary human." Said Lelouch, stating his deduction.

Histoire watched and listened to the conversation of the two boys with great interest.

"Well… I guess it would be better to show you than tell you, but how about we save that for our little spar later?" smiled Suzaku.

"Spar?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes, I was thinking of having a friendly match with you, because I was very intrigued by your strength last time." Replied the brown haired boy.

Lelouch thought about it. He too was interested in the other's prowess, so this was the best opportunity to test out his theory.

"Alright then. Let's go outside and hold this match." He replied standing up from his seat.

The girls, noticing Lelouch's actions, diverted their attention towards the two boys.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Asked Neptune.

"We'll be outside for a while." Lelouch replied.

Histoire, on the other hand, was worried.

"I don't really think that fighting is a good idea. Can't you just settle things with a conversation?" asked the oracle.

"Don't worry, Histoire. We won't overdo it." Smiled Suzaku.

"Oh dear, if you say so, then I guess I can't stop you." Sighed Histoire.

Plutia tilted her head in confusion.

"Are Lulu and Suzu gonna fight…?" She asked.

"Oh yeah! This is a must watch! Come on, Plutie!" Said Neptune, hyped, gesturing for her friend to follow her outside.

"W-Wait for me!" Nepgear managed to break free from Vert's hold.

Everyone, except for the kids and Histoire, who stayed behind to take care of them, got outside the Basilicom and walked over to the nearby forest. The girls seated themselves on the side in the shade of some trees, while Lelouch and Suzaku stood across each other on the open field.

"So, how will we go about this? With or without weapons?" Asked Lelouch.

"I was thinking we didn't use weapons." Replied Suzaku, throwing his two swords and their sheaths to the side.

"Very well then." Lelouch unbuckled the strap of the sheath of his sword and threw it to the side along with his revolver, which he took out from one of the inside pockets of his coat.

The girls were watching, anticipation overtaking them.

"So, who do you think will win?" Asked Noire.

"My bets are on Lulu. I haven't seen anyone stronger than him." Said Neptune.

"I also believe Lelouch is going to win." Agreed Nepgear with a nod.

"I think that Suzaku has a better chance." Said Blanc, scaling the two boys against each other.

"Well, it remains to be seen, which one of them will end up on top." Said Vert.

"Do your beeeest…!" Plutia cheered the two on.

The two gave a quick smile to the girls and returned their attention to each other.

"Come at me anytime you're re-" Suzaku noticed that Lelouch had already gone in front of him and attempted to punch him in the face.

He leaned to the side and delivered a clean blow to the left side of Lelouch's face. The dark haired boy stuttered for a second before regaining his composure.

"That was cheating, we haven't even started yet." Complained Suzaku.

Lelouch smirked, brushing off his left cheek with his hand.

"I prefer to call it a sure win." Replied the dark haired boy. "Now I'm aware of your reaction time."

"Huh?" Suzaku was confused from his statement, but prepared himself, seeing that Lelouch dashed at him again.

The dark haired boy had thrown another left punch straight for his face, but Suzaku leaned to the side again and was about to hit him again. He failed to take into account, however, that the left handed punch was a faint and took an uppercut from Lelouch's right hand.

The brown haired boy moved a few feet back, getting out of the daze that the uppercut had put him into.

"I told you." Lelouch smirked.

Suzaku looked at Lelouch. The brown haired boy's gaze was full of curiosity.

"Well, now that we're even, how about we start getting serious?" Smiled Suzaku.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Lelouch dashed at him again.

This time he was going to strike with his left elbow, but Suzaku parried with his own. The two then went for a knee in the stomach of their opponent with their knees colliding with each other.

After a few more collisions the two jumped away from each other, creating some distance between them.

"You're not bad." Suzaku complimented his opponent.

"Hmph, I'm just getting started." Lelouch activated his red aura, increasing his speed and strength.

Suzaku was surprised for a moment, remembering it from his first confrontation with Lelouch. The boy in black and gold dashed at him attempting to deliver a heavy kick, but Suzaku blocked with a kick of his own, surprising Lelouch.

"You have some tricks up your sleeve, it seems." Lelouch noted.

"Like you're one to talk." Replied Suzaku, silver aura starting to appear around him.

The two then executed a series of elbow and knee strikes on each other. Both were clashing their attacks, each trying to outpace his opponent. The clash ended with both boys delivering a punch to each other's faces.

They stuttered back from the hit and regained their stance.

"You're doing quite well to hold up, but it won't be enough against me. Let's see if my guess about who you are is correct or not." Lelouch smirked, as he transformed.

Suzaku was shocked to see his opponent engulfed in light and then his changed appearance. The man in black and red armor opened his violet eyes, revealing the glowing red symbol in them. Suzaku instantly recognized the symbol, as images from a past fight flashed in his head and worried him. The tall man with black spiky hair crossed his arms and looked at him with an amused expression.

"Surprised, aren't you? In this form, I'm known as CPU Dark Heat. Come on then, don't keep me waiting. Show me what you can do." Said Lelouch.

Suzaku regained his composure.

"Now you have me even more curious about who you are, since you have those eyes. Fine then. If you're going all out, I might as well do the same." Said Suzaku, a light engulfing him.

When the light cleared, it revealed a tall lean man with messy spiky silver hair. His armor was white and gold (Imagine something close to the original Lancelot design). His eyes were green with a glowing blue inverted Geass in them.

The girls' jaws dropped, as they saw Suzaku transform.

Lelouch was surprised not because his suspicions proved correct, but because Suzaku possessed the Geass of a light CPU. A tinge of excitement ran through his body, at the sight of the other man.

"I guess you could call me CPU Chrome Heart. Anyway, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's resume our bout, shall we?" Said Suzaku.

A smirk formed on Lelouch's face.

"By all means." Said Dark Heart, his red aura surrounding his body, while silver energy was seeping from Chrome Heart's body.

The two dashed and collided with their foreheads. Lelouch's smile wouldn't leave him, while Suzaku was with a serious expression, concentrated on winning. They jumped away from each other, only to rush again. Each time their fists collided with one another, the air around them was blown away from the shockwave caused by the colliding forces.

The girls watched in amazement, how the two traded blows.

"Woooow… Both Suzu and Lulu are sooooo strong…" Said happily Plutia.

"How is it even possible for a CPU to be this strong?!" Noire was shocked by the display of power from the two.

"Yeah, I was like that as well, back when I tried to beat Lelouch along with the others. He whipped our butts without breaking a sweat, back then." Laughed nervously Neptune.

"Neptune, I don't think that's something you should laugh about." Said Nepgear.

The two CPUs' fight continued until the sun began to set.

They traded another blow to each other's face and backed away. Both were all bruised up from the attacks of the other and were panting.

"You know, I'm really enjoying myself right now. You're the second person with who I can trade blows on an equal level." Said Lelouch.

"Funny, it's the same for me too." Smiled Suzaku.

"Anyway, I think we should conclude this bout and call it day, no?" Said Dark Heart.

"I agree, but I was wondering if you'd tell me your Geass' power before we stopped. I'm aware that Geass doesn't work on another CPU with it." Said Chrome Heart, deeply interested in his opponent's ability. (Yeah, cause I don't want to overpower Suzaku too much. If you are asking yourselves whether I'll make him stronger than Zero, then rest assured that Zero will stay the dominant force in this story, though I'm still thinking about how to handle the final I have in mind for this arc)

"Alright, but only if you show me yours in turn." Agreed Dark Heart, receiving a nod from Suzaku.

The dark haired CPU turned around towards the girls, noticing that they hadn't heard their conversation. He smirked, as he called out to Neptune.

"Hey, Neptune." Lelouch gestured for her to come over next to him.

"Huh? What does he want?" Neptune mumbled to herself, walking over to the man in black and red armor.

"What is it, Lulu?" Asked the girl.

"Oh, I just needed your assistance, that's all. Now, could you start doing push-ups for me?" Said the dark CPU, his Geass activating.

"Understood." Replied the entranced Neptune, who began to do push-ups, though with her skinny frame, she could barely push herself up.

The other girls watched from the side, confused from what they were seeing.

"My Geass grants me the power to deny any free will opposing mine." Lelouch put it bluntly.

Suzaku was taken aback by the power, noting how dangerous it was.

"This Geass of his… It's even more terrifying than…" Suzaku thought, but was called back to the plane of existence by Lelouch, who snapped his fingers to gain his attention.

Neptune had returned to normal and was wondering why was she so exhausted.

"Earth to Suzaku, it's your turn to show me your Geass." Snapped Lelouch, impatient to see the other CPU's power in action.

"Ah, well, hmm…" Suzaku wondered how he should demonstrate his power, then an idea came to him.

"Neptune, could you transform for a bit, so I can show how my Geass works?" Suzaku asked the girl, who immediately frowned.

"No! If it's anything like Lulu's, I'm not doing anything!" Declared Neptune, closing her eyes to prevent Lelouch from using his Geass.

"Please, I promise it's not like Lelouch's." Begged Suzaku.

"If it ain't anything like commanding someone to do something against their will, then you have my assistance!" Smiled Neptune and gave him a thumbs up.

Suzaku found himself staring at Purple Heart, remembering her from the time in Leanbox.

"So, what can I do for you?" Asked Neptune.

"You've already done enough. Negate." Suzaku smiled, his eyes glowing.

Neptune was back to her human form, without her transforming back.

Lelouch was astonished by this power. He could see the possibilities available with it and mused in his thoughts about how could he benefit from such a power.

"Huh?! I'm small again?!" Neptune was confused.

"Yes, my Geass allows me to negate any type of energy. For example, how I just made you back to normal, even though you were in HDD." Explained Suzaku.

"Hmm… Does it work on energy attacks as well?" asked Lelouch.

"Yes." Nodded Suzaku.

"That's quite the interesting power." Said the dark haired CPU.

"Forgive if I sound offensive, but my power's nowhere near as frightening as yours. But I guess it's to be expected, since you are a dark CPU to possess those eyes." Sighed Suzaku.

"Oh, you noticed, huh?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow, intrigued that the other male CPU had actually figured out quite a lot.

The two transformed back into their human forms.

"Well, that's that." Said Lelouch flexing his neck, feeling sore from all the fighting.

"Agreed." Nodded Suzaku.

"Since the two of you are done, let's head back to the Basilicom!" Declared cheerfully Neptune.

The two boys smiled and followed after her. Neptune went over to the others to tell them that they were heading back. On their way back, Lelouch explained to Suzaku how he and the Nep sisters were from another dimension.

"Fascinating. I didn't expect to run into CPUs from another dimension." Smiled Suzaku.

"Neither did I." Lelouch sighed, remembering how Nepgear ruined Neptune's return and his stupid decision to try and back away the girl from the portal.

"Stop your whining, Lulu." Told him off Neptune.

"Still, I'm still rather shocked at how powerful you two are." Said Noire.

"Maybe that's because this is a fan made story in a parallel universe, where Lulu and Suzu exist. The author is surely a damn sexist, who doesn't give the main role to a female protagonist." Complained Neptune. (Don't know why, but I just decided to put this in XD)

Thankfully, her comment was ignored, as per her usual treatment of breaking the 4th wall.

The group finally returned to the Basilicom and had dinner. After that, the girls kicked out the boys to their room and proceeded with their 'sleepover'.

Lelouch and Suzaku were now sharing a room with an overall simplistic design. There was a couch with a table and carpet in front of it. There were two wardrobes and a mirror. Opposite the couch was a TV placed on a section, which was decorated with some vases and other ornaments. The room had its own bath as well, as there was a door on the far end of the room which led to the bathroom. The part which stuck out to Lelouch the most, however, was the bunker bed in one of the corners of the room. The dark haired boy wasn't exactly thrilled from the sight, while Suzaku didn't seem to have any complaints.

The two took turns at taking a shower and preparing for sleep, as Suzaku went first. While he was in the bath, Lelouch had turned on the TV and was watching through, what he deemed as least boring, a documentary on craftsmanship. After a few minutes, Suzaku was done and had exited the shower, entering the room with a towel around his waist. He went to open up the wardrobe in search of something that might serve as sleepwear.

"I guess we'll have to settle for short sleeved shirts and short pants." Said the brown haired boy, a tone of fright eminent in his voice.

This caused Lelouch to become curious, as he walked over to the other boy to see what was it that had caught his attention. When he laid eyes on it, his jaw almost dropped. There was nothing but baggy girly looking clothes inside.

"What is this, some kind of sick joke?!" Lelouch was enraged.

"Well… I don't really know what to say…" Suzaku was at a loss for words.

Both let out a huge sigh. Suzaku proceeded to pick up some sleepwear that would fit him. Lelouch then took note of his companion's physique. The brown haired boy wasn't a jacked up gym freak, but he sure as hell defined the word lean.

"I'm starting to think that this was intentional on their part." Groaned Lelouch, as he headed for the bath, since it was his turn.

Finishing with the bath, Lelouch proceeded with the same activity that had occupied his companion.

His final pick of clothes was a bright pink short sleeved shirt with light purple pants with white cats on it. If there was a word that could describe how he felt with those clothes, then it was shame. Suzaku's outfit wasn't much better, as it consisted of pink pants and a bright yellow shirt with bunnies on it.

Lelouch stopped the TV and looked at Suzaku.

"So, how are going about this?" He pointed to the bunker bed.

"I don't have a preference." Replied the brown haired boy.

"Then I'll be taking the ground level bed." Stated Lelouch, getting into the bed and tucking himself in.

The bed itself wasn't that bad, as it was very comfortable and even had a lamp near it, which Lelouch turned on, since he took out a book, which was apparently his read for the night.

Suzaku climbed on top of the second bed and made himself comfortable. He realized that this was kind of an awkward situation, that the two were now in, and wanted to, let's say, break the ice. Thankfully for him, Lelouch did that before he had to start thinking about something that the two could talk about.

"I've been wondering this for a while, but where do you live?" Asked Lelouch.

"I don't really have a home. I usually use hotels to spend the nights on which I'm not out on a quest." Replied Suzaku.

"Ah, so your lifestyle is similar to mine in a way, since back in my dimension I stayed in a different Basilicom every month." Noted Lelouch.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question." Said Suzaku.

"Fire away." Replied the boy in the bed beneath him.

"I'd like to hear more about your dimension." Said the green eyed boy.

Lelouch then explained to him how the four nations that made up Gamindustri were the same with even their CPUs being the same person, except for Neptune and Plutia. He told him about his and the other CPUs' younger siblings. He also decided to inform him of the circumstances of how he had arrived in this dimension.

"It sounds like you have your hands full." Joked Suzaku.

"That's an understatement." Sighed Lelouch.

Lelouch had more questions, but decided that this wasn't the time neither the place and situation to ask them. The two bid each other good night and went to sleep.

Suzaku was glad that this dark CPU wasn't hell bent on destruction like his previous encounter. Content from how the day had passed, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Lelouch, however, was uneasy. Talking about his dimension made him think about the situation over there and made him worry. He took a mental note to ask Neptune how she found herself in another dimension at all.

That moment, his worry was increased by a familiar voice.

"How amusingly things are progressing. I can't wait to see how all of this plays out." Zero chuckled in his mind.

Anxiety started to grip at Lelouch, as he could feel his heart beat's increased rhythm. He managed to calm himself and get to sleep, contemplating what his alter ego meant by his statement.

* * *

 **Well, so far so good. I won't confirm or deny Suzaku's death at the end of this arc, but still damn, a lot of people hate the guy XD. I kind of understand the feeling, remembering how i wanted him to die every episode after Euphemia's death, cause emo Spinzaku was getting too much in Lulu's way. The dude was practically a pain the ass, everything that always went wrong in Lelouch's plans was mostly because of him XD. As for Lelouch meeting Croire, i think it will be by the end of this arc, so it's not far off, considering it's halfway past. I won't be exploiting the Eden nation scenario, since both Suzaku and Lelouch can easily deal with that problem and i don't think it will be of much interest. Another thing that i should put in here is that my update schedule will be very inconsistent for the next week or so. Sometimes it may be daily and others there will be a one or two day gap between the new chapters. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my shit imagination and plot development XD. Well, thank you for reading and i wish you a great day :).**


	44. Lingering problems

**Happy Easter guys!**

Chapter 44: Lingering problems

A commotion was going on in the base of the Seven Sages.

"Hello. I called us all together to have a debriefing of sorts." Greeted his colleagues Anonydeath.

"Ugghhhh… Haha…" Arfoire was wriggling from all the mental and physical trauma she had gone through.

"Looks like one of us ain't really up for any kind of meeting." Pointed out Warechu.

"If that one CPU hadn't held back against me, would I have ended up like that…?" A chill ran through Mr. Badd's spine.

Rei was sulking in her seat for some reason.

"What a pity. Copy seems to have turned sides and Arfie is, well, … broken. And we can't even call Abby over." Sighed Anonydeath.

"We're in quite the predicament, aren't we?" Said the hacker.

"This happened because your plan was riddled with holes, chu." Said the rat.

"Aww, you aren't holding back, huh? My plan was meant to kill four birds with a single stone, but…" Anonydeath sighed again.

"Rather than four birds with one stone, it was more like chasing four rabbits and catching none." Remarked Mr. Badd.

"I wish the kidnapping had succeeded, at the very least. To think that we weren't able to bring even one back…" Anonydeath gave his three colleagues a stare.

Arfoire was in no state to respond, while Warechu was with his head held low.

"I couldn't handle making that angelic little girl cry, chu… Besides, who knows what would've happened to me, if I hadn't returned her…" Muttered the rat, remembering the fear caused by the airheaded girl and the boy in black and gold.

"I'm… I'm so sorry… I'm so useless and clumsy…" Continued to sulk Rei.

"My darling Rei, are you trying to hide something from us?" asked Anonydeath, suspicious of her behavior.

Hearing him, Rei jumped up from her seat.

"Yikes! Wh-What do you mean?! Why, I'd never, ever hide anything!" Rei said panicked.

"You're practically telling us that there is something, with that behavior." Pointed out Mr. Badd.

Rei gave a defeated sigh and slumped into her chair.

"The truth is, um, when I lost the girl, she, uh, kinda swallowed a CPU Memory Core and transformed. Also, I got confronted by Suzaku." Said sheepishly Rei.

Her colleagues became aware that their situation was even worse than they had initially thought.

"Dear me, can things get any worse?" Sighed Anonydeath, solidifying what fate had in store for them.

That moment, Abnes entered the room with a loud slam of the door and was steaming with anger. Rei was shocked to see her, while Warechu complained about her arrival.

"I heard about everything! You stooped to kidnapping, huh?!" Abnes was furious.

"Oopsy-daisy, she figured us out." Reacted the hacker.

"Um, well, there's a reason for it…" Rei tried to explain to the blond girl, but was interrupted.

"Like I care for your reason! Where are the kids you took? Where did you lock them up?!" Abnes demanded to know.

"They aren't locked up anywhere, though we cannot say anymore." Replied Mr. Badd.

"If you won't tell me, I'll let Suzaku know what you've done! Then, the Seven Sages will be…" Abnes' threat was interrupted.

"He probably already knows, so there's no point to your threat. And it'd be way better to have him on our tails than those psychotic CPUs." Said Warechu.

"The dear Suzaku is such a forgiving person, isn't he? That's the reason he hasn't taken any action against us until now. He's too naïve, with that way of thinking." Mused Anonydeath.

Rei wanted to say something, but stopped herself, realizing that it was probably not a good idea to elaborate on the reason why Suzaku allowed the Seven Sages to be formed to begin with.

"Ugh! Fine! I'll do it by force!" Declared Abnes, starting to get desperate.

"Knock it off. You can't possibly stand against us." Said Mr. Badd, trying to avoid the pointless conflict.

"You might make for a good match against the middle-aged lady, chu." Muttered the rat.

"W-With me? I could never. We mustn't fight our friends…" Rei tried to calm everyone down.

"None of you are my friends, or anything else! Enough! I'll save the children, no matter what!" yelled Abnes, starting to tear up from the heartlessness of her ex-colleagues.

"P-Please wait, Abnes!" Rei tried to stop her.

"What? More stuttering excuses?!" The blond girl was enraged.

"I wouldn't call it an excuse, but… know that I'll always think of you as my friend, Abnes." Said Rei, hoping to get the girl to reconsider.

"If you want to think that, fine! You big stupid idiot!" Abnes yelled at her and ran off to complete her objective.

"Abnes…" Rei was saddened by her departure.

"Good grief, she's finally gone." Sighed in relief Mr. Badd.

"Can we really just let her go, chu?" asked the rat.

"It's fine, isn't it? The CPUs will be coming for us eventually, with or without Abnes' help, so her actions won't really change anything." Answered Anonydeath.

"About that, the truth is, that I've been thinking lately that I'd like to retire and spend the rest of my days with my daughters. I'll help you out however I can, but at some point I'll have to leave you." Confessed Mr. Badd.

"What, you'll be leaving us, Baddy?!" Anonydeath was shocked to hear that.

"Why?! Is it my fault for being so useless all the time?" Asked Rei.

The old man in the business suit glanced at the chairwoman and formed a happy smile on his face.

"Good grief. You never change… In a way, I'm grateful to you. Working here wasn't that bad and it gave me the chance to meet my darling daughters." Said the old man.

"Huh? Then why?" Asked Rei, surprised from what she was hearing.

"My daughters don't want me to put myself in danger any longer. They are such kind kids to worry about me." Said happily Mr. Badd.

"What a doting daddy you are, Baddy." Joked lightly Anonydeath.

"I'm aware of that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must complete my preparations." Said the business man, as he was about to leave the meeting.

"If those really are your reasons, then don't push yourself to the limit, okay?" Said the hacker concerned for his colleague.

"Naturally." Smiled Mr. Badd., as he left.

With him gone, now all that remained of the Seven Sages were Rei, Anonydeath, Warechu and Arfoire.

Rei let out a sigh, noticing that all of her friends were setting off to live life the way they deemed. Though sad that she wouldn't be working with them anymore, she was still happy for them.

The day was starting out nicely for Lelouch, as he and Suzaku were still sleeping in their room. However, the tranquility of the atmosphere was soon broken, as Neptune entered the room with a loud thud from the door.

"Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" She yelled, joyfully.

Her yelling caused the two to get startled, as Lelouch jumped up from his bed and hit his head on the one that Suzaku was sleeping on, while the brown haired boy had been rather close to the end of his bed and hearing Neptune made him fall down and hit the ground with a loud thud.

After a few seconds, both managed to regain their composure and isolate the pain. The two boys looked at Neptune with displeased expressions, which went unnoticed, as the girl was too busy holding in her laughter by seeing what the two were dressed in.

"Neptune, I swear, if you laugh, there will be grave consequences!" Growled Lelouch, as he got up from the bed.

"*Snicker* Aye, aye, captain Nya." Joked Neptune, imitating a cat, referencing his shorts' unfortunate design.

Lelouch's veins started to show on his forehead.

"That was a rather witless entrance." Remarked Suzaku with a displeased expression.

Neptune couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing uncontrollably. The ruckus, which she made, caused the other girls to come over and see what all the commotion was about.

Before they could get a good look, Lelouch kicked out Neptune and slammed the door, locking it just to be safe. The girls outside were confused at what was happening, as Neptune was rolling on the ground laughing.

Lelouch could still hear her laughter, even after the group had went to the living worm, and that made him want to drown Neptune in her favorite pudding, as he was changing into his clothes.

"Come on, cheer up. It was just a prank. There's no need for you to make such a scary face over it." Suzaku tried to calm him down, already having changed into his white and gold uniform.

"Oh, I'll cheer up alright, when I've put Neptune through some humiliation!" Declared the dark haired boy, putting on his black and gold coat, his eyes sparking with wrath.

Suzaku laughed nervously, as the two left the room and went to have breakfast with the others. When they arrived, they received curious gazes from the girls. Suzaku smiled nervously at them, while Lelouch completely ignored them, his sight concentrated on the offender in question.

The moment Neptune saw him head straight for her, she was about to run away, jumping up from the sofa she was lying on, but got caught by the very angry dark haired boy. She turned her head slowly to Lelouch, meeting his gaze.

"Hey, Lulu, buddy…" She said nervously, noticing that Lelouch's face didn't seem to be angry, in fact it looked like a happy smile.

The purple haired girl could only shudder in fear, knowing that when he was faking like this, he was angered beyond redemption.

"Hello, 'buddy'…" He replied.

Neptune could swear that she saw his eyebrow twitch.

The others realized that something bad was about to befall Neptune, as did Neptune herself, as she paled.

"Now, let's see… How can I have you repent for your actions, hmm?" Lelouch mused, as his smile turned into a grin.

Neptune was crossing herself, hoping that by some chance fate would save her from the boy's wrath.

And, surprisingly, it did. Mini Histoire was contacted by the Histoire from Hyper dimension, causing everyone's attention to turn to her.

"Yes, I'll put you on video feed, just a second…" Ultra Histoire said, as she put up a screen on which Histoire and Rolo could be seen.

The three CPUs from the Hyper dimension instantly recognized the familiar faces and went in front of the sceen.

"Histy, you're a life saver, I love you!" Said Neptune, Lelouch having let go of her.

"Huh?" her random comment caused Histoire to get confused.

"Don't think that we are done. After this, we'll continue where we left off." Lelouch glared at Neptune, causing her to shudder in fear.

"Um, I don't really know what that was about, but what is the situation with you?" Asked Histoire.

"Well, a lot of stuff happened and we even got to meet a new friend! Come on, introduce yourself!" Neptune said cheerfully, returning to her usual self in the matter of seconds and gesturing for Suzaku to come over.

The boy did so, interested in seeing other people from a different dimension. He got in front of the screen and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Suzaku. It's nice to meet you." Smiled the boy.

"It's nice to meet you too, Suzaku. I'm the Histoire of this dimension and this right here is Rolo." Said Histoire, introducing the boy next to her, who only gave a silent nod and wave.

"Ah, you must be Lelouch's younger brother. He told me about you and how strong and dependable you are." Smiled Suzaku at the boy.

"He did?" Rolo's nervousness was replaced by a smile.

Lelouch in front of the screen so he could be seen as well.

"Yes, I did, Rolo. After all, I put you in charge of the situation in Planeptune, did I not?" Smiled Lelouch.

Rolo was beaming to see and hear from his brother again.

Lelouch's face then became serious, as he asked what was the situation in their dimension.

"What is happening right now?" He asked with a serious tone.

"Well, to be honest, the situation is quite grim. The Citizens Group keeps getting more violent with their actions, as they are causing trouble throughout all nations. Rolo and the other CPUs have been doing their best to keep them at bay, but the situation is getting worse by the day." Explained Histoire, with a worried tone.

Lelouch thought about everything, to make a proper plan of action.

"Alright then. Here's how we'll proceed. We'll increase our efforts on this side, while you try to maintain the situation from getting out of hand. With the limited supply of information that I have, this is the best course of action that we can currently take." Stated Lelouch, gaining nods from Histoire and Rolo, and a groan from Neptune.

"I'm sure that you won't fail. After all, Nepgear and Neptune have you with them." Said happily Histoire, as she ended the call.

Neptune felt burned from Histoire's comment.

"What about having you with us? We can do nice and dandy without someone constantly nagging at us." Complained Neptune, earning herself a glare from Lelouch.

"Well with that said, we should get to work. There is no more time to waste." Said Lelouch to Neptune and Nepgear.

"Huh? Just us? What about everyone else?" Neptune was shocked.

"This doesn't concern them. The problem is ours and ours alone to deal with. You do realize that we are to gather as much Shares as possible, right? They have no reason to help us with something that would put their nations at a disadvantage." Replied sternly Lelouch.

The other girls looked at each other, agreeing with his words, but seemed troubled for other reasons. They were reluctant to help, because if they did that only meant that Neptune and the other two would go home.

"You're so cold, Lulu! What is with that stubborn pride of yours! If we get help, things will go much faster." Argued Neptune.

"How selfish exactly are you?" Lelouch argued back.

Nepgear looked at the unfolding argument between Lelouch and Neptune, while the other CPUs seemed to be discussing something between themselves. Suzaku, on the other hand, observed the situation, to be able to give his opinion on the matter.

The brown haired boy smiled and decided to cut in.

"Well, I don't really see a reason not to help someone in need, so you can count me in. I don't have something like a nation so I don't lose anything by helping you out." He said cheerfully, gaining Neptune's appreciative smile and a shrug from Lelouch.

"Do as you wish." Said the dark haired boy.

Plutia was the next one to join the conversation.

"Yeeeah, we'll help you out, too…!" She said determined, which caused Lelouch to raise an eyebrow, surprised that the girl seemed to be fired up for a change.

"Are you sure? When they return home, won't you be lonely?" Asked Vert, not wanting to see Nepgear go.

"Yeah, buuut… If Neppy, Neppy Jr. and Lulu need my help, …then I'll support them all the way…" Said Plutia.

"Plutie…" Neptune was speechless, glad that she had the support of her friend.

"Well, if Plutia is so set on helping you, there's no avoiding it." Sighed Noire.

"You're just acting like that, but in truth you want to help them as well." Pointed out Blanc.

"I guess it's settled then. You have our support, Neptune." Smiled Vert.

"Everyone…" Neptune was glad to have such great friends.

"Thank you, very much." Said Nepgear.

Lelouch rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Thanks, I guess." He muttered, not wanting to let go of his point, as his pride wouldn't let him.

The girls snickered at him, while Suzaku just smiled. The situation took a strange shift when the three little girls entered the room. Both IF and Compa entered behind Peashy, who seemed to be the current mastermind, despite her lack of intellect for that matter.

The little blond girl came over to Neptune and pointed at her.

"Neptuna, show me how you get big!" Demanded Peashy, causing the others in the room to become confused at her request.

Suzaku, on the other hand, realized that the situation was bad. He hadn't managed to find the perfect time or way to relay the fact that Peashy was a CPU now.

Neptune tilted her head in confusion at the girl.

"Um, sure, why not?" Said the purple haired girl, as she transformed.

When she did, Peashy's eyes were sparkling, while Suzaku, knowing what was coming next, got filled with dread.

"There, is this what you wanted?" Asked Purple Heart.

"Yeah! I'll show you how I get big, too!" Said the girl happily, causing everyone to become confused from her statement.

"Peashy, no! Please, for the love of, don't do it!" Suzaku started to beg the little girl, who ignored him, while everyone else couldn't comprehend what was happening.

However, when Peashy was surrounded by a flash of light and revealed to have transformed, everyone's jaws dropped.

"Great, now how am I going to explain this." Sighed Suzaku, disappointed that the girl didn't listen to him.

Peashy was now in her HDD, her hair being long bright yellow and her body, let's say, took a growth spurt. Vert and Blanc were focused on a single part of her that had grown exponentially, you guessed it, her chest. Compa and IF were marveled by their friend's new prowess, while Lelouch was trying desperately to solve the situation he was seeing before him, with no logical explanation coming to mind.

"P-ko, wh-wha?!" Neptune was shocked to see the girl before her.

Peashy started to jump around happily.

"Yay, I'm big now, too." She giggled.

The other CPUs eventually managed to regain their composure from the shock and turned their attention towards Suzaku, who became nervous from all the stares directed at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked Noire.

"L-Look, I can explain!" Said Suzaku.

"We're waiting to hear." Responded Lelouch, eyeing the boy suspiciously.

The brown haired boy explained how he had intercepted Rei, who was with Peashy at the time, but left out the part about Croire and his talk with Rei, as he wasn't sure if he should share that information. He then continued to explain how while all of that was happening, Peashy had ran through the contents of Rei's purse and found a CPU memory core, swallowing it in the process and the events, which eventually led up to the current situation.

After hearing the explanation, the girls sort of came to terms with everything, while Lelouch suspected that there was more to the story. The dark haired CPU was sure that Suzaku was leaving bits of information on purpose. What was his goal? That thought wouldn't leave Lelouch, as he watched Suzaku's body language very carefully, attempting to grasp any sign of his theory being right.

Histoire turned to the new CPU among them and smiled.

"Peashy, what would your name be in this form?" Asked Histoire cheerfully.

"Huh? Ummm…" The blond girl was at a loss and took her a while to figure things out, as she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

She then came to a conclusion and announced happily.

"I'm Yellow Heart!" Smiled the girl.

"Wooooow…" Plutia was still trying to process the fact that Peashy was now a CPU.

"Still, It's quite bizarre that you turned into a CPU, P-ko." Said Purple Heart.

"Peashy, would you please turn back to normal? It's dangerous for you to run around in the Basilicom like that. You could brake something, considering you have no control over your power.

"No! I wanna play with Neptuna like this!" Complained Peashy.

Yellow Heart didn't want to go back to her normal form, which caused Suzaku to let out a sigh.

"Come on, Peashy. Don't be selfish, you could hurt someone like this." The brown haired boy tried to change her mind.

"No!" Peashy stubbornly kept on.

Unfortunately, the situation took a turn for the worst, when Plutia decided that she wanted to transform too.

"Peashy, I'll transform and we'll plaaaay a lot with each other, ok…?" Smiled Plutia.

That sentence made everyone, except for Suzaku, the one person who wasn't aware of Sadie's demanding persona, panick, as they were about to stop Plutia from transforming. Alas, it was too late.

"Yeah, I wanna play with Ploot!" Said happily Peashy.

Plutia transformed, much to everyone's fear. When the light cleared, Suzaku could make out that the woman standing next to Neptune and Peashy wasn't to be taken lightly, as he could feel a small chill run down his spine at the sight of the dominatrix.

"Hmhmhmm, my sweet little Peashy… How I've longed for this moment, when I get to lay my hands on you…" Said lustfully Iris Heart.

"Yaay, Ploot transformed!" Yellow Heart ignored the other woman's words.

IF immediately began to shudder in fear and desperately tried to hold in her crying, terrified from Plutia. Compa was trying to cheer her up, but without much success.

"Why did you transform just like that?!" Noire tried her attempt at scolding Plutia in that form, though she knew that there wasn't anything that could get to her.

"Plutie, I believe that we should turn back to normal, or you'll cause too much damage." Sighed Purple Heart.

"How cold of you, Neppy. I'm a calm and collected young woman." Smiled Iris Heart.

"The only adjective that described you was the third. You can change calm and collected to impulsive and whimsy." Lelouch remarked, not scared from the woman.

"Oh, you hurt me with those mean words, my sweet Lulu. Perhaps you are in need of me to punish you?" Iris Heart licked her lips.

Lelouch gave her a taunting gaze.

Suzaku wanted to avoid the escalating conflict.

"Negate." He cancelled out Peashy and Neptune's HDD, but sadly that was his limit.

His Geass couldn't negate more than two things at once. Lelouch took note of that, feeling that it's a useful piece of information to have. His attention returned to Plutia, who was now quite displeased that Neptune and Peashy had been transformed back.

"My dear Suzu, who told you that you can do anything behind my back? I guess I should teach you your place." Grinned Iris Heart, as she was about to dash at Suzaku.

"This woman is not playing around. She really intends to fight!" Suzaku took a mental note, preparing to use his Geass again.

Lelouch let out a sigh of defeat, seeing that Suzaku wasn't making an effort to hide the fact that he could use his Geass in his human form, so he decided that he should follow suite.

"I've really had it with you. Transform back into human form." Lelouch used his Geass on Plutia, who obeyed the given order.

Neptune and Nepgear shuddered at the fact that they now had to be wary of Lelouch's Geass at all times. Neptune allowed her mind to go somewhere it shouldn't, as she thought how he would go around and have his way with every girl he met and simply erase her memory of it.

"Lulu, you sick pervert!" Yelled at him Neptune, embarrassed from the thoughts she was having and decided to blame him.

"What?! Where do you get off calling me a pervert, huh?!" Lelouch was angry at the sudden and baseless accusation.

Lelouch was pinching Neptune's cheek, quite mad at her comment.

"Ow, ow! Stop it! *Bite*" Neptune didn't enjoy having her cheek being pulled and bit the boy's hand.

"OW! You bit me! What are you, a little kid?!" Lelouch let a yell from the pain.

Neptune released her jaws, Lelouch having let his grip off her face. The boy really wanted to level her with the ground, but held it in himself, regaining his cool, at least on the outside.

"That's what you get, when you don't listen to people!" Retorted Neptune.

"Why you little…" Lelouch was about to explode.

Suzkau and Nepgear stepped in, desperately trying to separate the two from each other.

From the side, everyone else was watching, unimpressed.

"And there goes the part about getting to work and us helping them." Sighed Noire, not sure if she should've expected anything different.

"Well, at least things aren't gloomy." Said Blanc.

Just then, knocking could be heard on the door.

"Oh, we have a guest. Yes, come in." Said Histoire.

The door opened, revealing Abnes' small frame, as she entered the room.

"U-Um… Excuse the intrusion…" Said quietly the girl.

This caused some confusion in the girls, who had gotten used to her whole slamming the door and accusing routine.

"Huh? Abnes?" Nepgear was confused to see the girl.

"Ugh, it's the annoying one again." Sighed Noire.

"This little girl entered the scene in a normal manner?" Neptune was shocked.

"No more 'ga-thunk'…?" Asked Plutia.

"I don't do that all the time, y'know. And… don't call me a little girl." Replied Abnes, in a quiet voice for a change.

Suzaku noticed that something was wrong and stepped up to the girl.

"What's wrong, Abnes?" He asked, worried for the girl.

"Huh, Suzaku?" Abnes realized that the brown haired boy was in the midst of the crowd.

"Wait, you two know each other?!" Neptune was further shocked.

The others stayed silent, wanting to see how the situation played out.

"Please, Suzaku, I beg of you! I have no one else to turn to! Please help me rescue the kidnapped children!" Abnes started to tear up.

Suzaku's eyes widened at her request.

"Such nonsense. I believe the ones who turned out to be kidnapping children were the Seven Sages, correct?" Said Vert, not trusting the little girl.

"That's why I left them. I had no idea they were doing that! I would've put my life on the line to stop them!" Said Abnes.

"You expect us to believe you?" Asked Blanc.

Suzaku didn't have any more time to waste in idle chat. He stood up, determined to rescue the children.

"Abnes, do you know the location where they are holding the kids?" Asked the boy.

"Yes, it took me a while, but I managed to find the base at which they are holding the children." Said Abnes happily, glad that she could rely on the boy.

"Wait, you believe her?" Noire was surprised.

Suzaku took offense to that comment and turned around to face the girls.

"It doesn't matter if it's a lie. Not only because I'm sure it isn't, but because that If there are people who need help, then I'll do anything in my power to help them!" Declared Suzaku, gaining the surprised stares of the girls.

Lelouch shrugged on the side, thinking how naïve his ideology was, but he decided to stand with Suzaku nonetheless.

"The girl isn't lying, but if my word is not enough proof for you, then you could settle for me using my Geass on her, no?" He said to the other girls, at which he received a glare from Suzaku.

"Power shouldn't be used like that. Things don't always need to happen by force. Sometimes all you need is a little patience and understanding towards the other person." Said the brown haired boy.

Abnes was truly happy that Suzaku was standing up for her. The girls were moved by the boy's heroic words, while Lelouch, on the other hand, started to get irritated for being nagged on.

"You are very naïve to think that something will change by waiting things out and expect good to come out of the good that you've done. The world does not work like that. It devours all good intentions and requires sacrifice for a goal to be reached, for change to be made. With that mentality, you'll never be able to achieve anything." Frowned Lelouch.

The two boys locked their gazes at each other, neither backing down from their view of the world. The girls could feel the tension in the room and started to realize just how meaningful to the two boys this conflict was. Each believed in their ideals that rejected the other's.

"I think I understand you a little more now. You are the type of person who doesn't stop to think how his goal and the actions he takes towards it affect others. The end doesn't prove the means." Replied Suzaku.

"Hmph. As if you can lecture me. It is clear that you are the strongest CPU in this dimension, and yet with all that power you just sit on the sidelines, only taking action if it need be taken. Yours is but a temporary solution to a problem, because during the time that you wait, another problem will start brewing." Said Lelouch.

"Heeey, stop fighting, you two…" Plutia tried to calm them down.

Neither would back down, as violet and green eyes glared at each other. Histoire saw that, at this rate, things could turn bad and decided to interfere.

"That's enough, both of you! I will not condone fighting in the Basilicom." Said the oracle, breaking up the argument.

The girls were all thinking about what the boys had said. While they could see where Lelouch was coming from and that there was truth to his words, they still preferred Suzaku's logic, as it was a good answer to everything, in theory that is.

Lelouch decided that this whole argument was one childish tantrum. He couldn't believe himself doing what he did, as he knew full well that not all people shared his ideals, but it seemed that he had gotten used to the fact that he could make them 'see' his way. Realizing his mistake, he walked up to Suzaku and extended his hand out for a handshake.

"I apologize for acting out of place. Every person has the right to have an opinion, so I would like to put this squabble behind us." Said Lelouch, not wanting to make enemies of the boy, not yet at least.

Suzkau seemed relieved to hear that, as he took Lelouch's hand.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for arguing like that." Said Suzaku, glad that he managed to avoid getting into a bad relationship with someone who seemed to be on equal footing as him.

The two exchanged a smile and let go.

Everyone was relieved that the two made up and returned their attention to Abnes.

"Ok, Abnes. We'll help you…" Smiled Plutia, gaining nods of agreement from her friends.

"Compa, P-ko, Iffy, keep an eye on this girl, just in case it's a trap." Said Neptune to the kids.

"I'm on the job." Said IF.

"We'll do our best!" Said Compa.

"Yeah, Neptuna!" Added Peashy.

Lelouch gave one quick glance to Suzaku again, noticing his smile because everyone had agreed to help rescue the children.

"It would seem that you are quite influential." Said Lelouch.

"I'll take that as a compliment, but I believe the same can be said about you as well." Smiled Suzaku.

Lelouch shrugged at his statement, a small smile forming on his face. He was still interested to know what was the connection between Suzaku and the Seven Sages, but decided that now was not the time.

Abnes then explained where was the facility that she had discovered.

"Yaay, let's goooo…!" Plutia led the charge towards the location that Abnes provided.

With that, all of the CPUs, except for Peashy, set off.

* * *

 **This chapter was all around the place, wasn't it? I'm quickening up the pace of the canon story and i've skipped quite a bunch of events, but i will be able to manage recreating the Seven Sages' demise without ruining the overall plot. I decided to push the conflict of ideals between Lelouch and Suzaku in the front, since unlike in Code Geass, here they don't have a backstory together, so they don't have a relationship that could prevent the conflict between the two . After all, for me that was what drew me closer to the two's relationship. Both had polar opposite ideals, which led them to face each other countless times, but shared the same goal. I wanted to use the concept and see how it can play out on V's story. Enough with the serious stuff and let's move on to a more important matter- pairings! As you've probably already guessed, the ultradimension will be Suzaku's romance mainly(If he get's to live it out, yeah i'm still thinking over that matter XD), as i believe that the girls in hyperdimension are enough for Lelouch, considering the fact that more will be added in V2 so there's quite a lot to work with. I have a few events in mind with Iris Heart, but those are for after this arc finishes. Don't worry guys, the spotlight will be returned to LuluxNoire at some point in the final chapters of this arc :D. Wow, was this a long scribbling or what. Thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day!**


	45. The dark CPU stirs to action

**Wow, was this chapter long overdue, or what? I apologize for the lack of content on my side, but i've been caught up in a lot of stuff lately and i don't really have the time to sit in front of the computer. Anyway, enough about me, let's get to the story.**

Chapter 45: The dark CPU stirs to action

After arriving at the secret base near Lowee, which Abnes told them about, the CPUs infiltrated the facility in search of the missing children.

"Wow. There was a hidden base here." Noire was cross about the whole situation.

"I wonder if their main base is nearby, too…" Speculated Nepgear.

"Did you not know of this area, Blanc?" Asked Vert.

"No, I had no idea. I only showed interest in what was happening in my own nation." Replied Blanc.

"How close minded can a person be?" Asked sarcastically Lelouch.

"I'm not gonna forgive them this time! Kidnapping tykes and then locking them up in such a place sucks!" declared Neptune.

Suzaku was staying silent, contemplating why Rei and the others would stoop to kidnapping.

"Why would Rei tolerate something like this? I don't understand. Was it Croire who influenced her or was it that hacker's fault? Whatever the case, I must stop all of this." Thought the boy.

Everyone was soon interrupted, because they had run into a familiar bunch of creatures. The critters were curious to see the group, while Neptune didn't seem joyful at the encounter, as she let out a primal scream.

"Gross me out! They're here!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

The creatures got startled and ran away.

"Uh-oh! It's running away!" Pointed out Nepgear.

"Because someone among us had to shout at the top of her lungs." Vert frowned at Neptune.

"I couldn't help it, honest! Of course I'd shout if something gross like that came outta nowhere!" said Neptune with an apologetic expression.

"H-Hey, what the heck was that?" Asked Noire, flustered.

"I've never felt such a disgusted feeling before. A friend of yours?" Blanc asked Vert.

"Of course not! Those monsters attacked my nation!" Said Vert, angered by the question.

"I thiiink they're supposed to be that bald man's daughters…" Said Plutia.

Suzaku was confused from what he heard and the creatures he saw. There was something strange that he could feel about them.

"Hey, are those things…" He was cut off by Lelouch, who was aware what his question was going to be.

"Yes, for some reason they possess CPU energy. I'm not sure how to explain this, but I guess we'll soon get our answer from the source." Said Lelouch.

The girls continued to complain about the creatures and how gross they were, but continued along behind the two boys anyway. Lelouch wasn't exactly glad that he was being used as a shield from those things, while Suzaku didn't care.

After a while of exploring the base, they eventually ran into the critters again, only this time Mr. Badd was with them.

"Ah, CPUs, so you came." Said the old man, noticing their arrival, adjusting his glasses on his head.

Before anyone else got to say their peace, Suzaku forwarded his question, while walking towards the old man, his face being utmost serious.

"Mr. Badd, what are these lifeforms that you have with you?" Asked the boy narrowing his gaze at the man and the creatures.

"Hmm? Oh, them? They are my lovely daughters." Replied the man happily.

Suzaku became confused from the man's statement, but, much to everyone's surprise, Neptune got the conversation going to the matter that they were there for.

"Spill it, old man! Where are the children you've kidnapped?!" Demanded Neptune, her tone filled with spite, strangely enough considering it was Neptune.

Mr. Badd grinned and gestured before him to the creatures.

"They are right here." He said.

"Huh…?" The girls were confused from his statement.

However, it didn't take long for the two male CPUs to understand the meaning behind the man's words. At this, Lelouch became enraged, as his face darkened and his eyes burned with hatred. Suzaku, on the other hand, was shocked to realize the truth.

"You bastard! You forced CPU Memory Cores on innocent children!" Lelouch yelled, his anger bulging.

"How could you?!" Noire was shocked, hearing the declaration.

A certain short girl with brown hair, however, was ready to deliver hell to the man, as she transformed and stared the man directly in the eyes, with her own glowing with malice.

"Prepare to die!" Blanc yelled, charging at the man.

Surprisingly, the creatures formed a barrier in front of him, which caused White Heart to falter. At this, the old man laughed.

"Haha, what's wrong? Feeling guilty now that you know the truth?" Gloated Mr. Badd.

Neptune, Vert, Noire and Nepgear, just like Blanc, didn't have it in them to fight the creatures. They all felt that those kids' poor souls shouldn't have experienced something like this.

However, Plutia was furious, as she transformed. The light clearing away from her, Iris Heart opened her eyes, revealing them to be filled with pure anger. She scowled at Mr. Badd and extended her whip blade.

"It looks like I'll have to serve you your just deserts!" She laughed maniacally at the man and the creatures, who flinched in fear.

Lelouch also transformed, sharing the woman's intention to completely obliterate the old man in the business suit. This time, things had gone too far and the gloves had to come off. The tall man in black and red armor was emitting red aura around him, signaling his rage.

"You know, I tried to be nice. I tried to give every single one of you, pathetic excuses for villains, a second chance." Said Dark Heart, his tone dark and merciless.

Lelouch then turned to Suzaku, who was still in shock over the situation. The boy had never expected something like this, since he was so sure that none of the Seven Sages were going to harm innocent people. Sadly, his claims had been shattered like glass. Lelouch realized that it was hard for Suzaku to convince himself and decided to lend a helping hand.

"This is the truth of the world, Suzaku! The good one does is only to sate one's own conscience. Your actions mean nothing to scum like that man! Your efforts are wasted, can't you see?" Said Lelouch, attempting to make Suzaku see things his way.

"No! You're wrong! I'm sure that there's an explanation, no a reason, anything to prove you're not right!" Suzaku argued, not wanting to drop faith in his beliefs.

"Stubborn fool! How can you be so blind to what's happening around you?!" Lelouch got really irritated at the brown haired boy's childish views.

"If believing in the goodness of others makes me a fool, then a fool I am!" Suzaku continued to be stubborn.

The girls were all speechless, as none could get into the argument, except for Iris Heart, who walked over to Suzaku and slapped him across the face and pulled him by the collar of his uniform closer to her. The boy was confused from the sudden act of violence and stared directly into Plutia's eyes.

"Suzu-chan, aren't you a man? If so, stop acting like a damn kid and accept facts! I hate people who don't want want to come to terms with themselves." She growled at him.

Lelouch and the others watched, as Suzaku pulled away from her grip and looked at Plutia with a displeased expression. Mr. Badd was enjoying the in-fighting between the CPUs.

"I'm disappointed that you are so quick to judge people. That said, however." Suzaku transformed.

"I will not allow you to attack this man, until I've gotten my explanation." Said Chrome Heart turning to Mr. Badd.

"I will only ask once. Why did you kidnap the children and force a CPU Memory Core on them?" Asked Suzaku, his gaze narrowed and serious.

Lelouch clicked his tongue in annoyance. He couldn't believe how soft Suzaku was. Deciding that he didn't want to waste his time with fighting the male CPU, he left him to his antics, as Mr. Badd explained their initial plan to get a CPU under the Seven Sages' control and how it all resulted in him caring for his daughters.

Neptune and the other CPUs listened carefully to the explanation. There were no jokes, no sarcastic remarks. This proved that the matter was taken serious by absolutely everyone.

Plutia was starting to get restless from not getting to go all out against the old man and decided that the next best thing was to 'play' with Lelouch. She walked over to the dark CPU and leaned on him, wrapping her arms around him. This, of course, didn't sit well with Lelouch who glared at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked her sternly.

"How cold, Lulu-chan. I'm so worked up right now and I reeeally need a man like yourself to help me unload." She teased him, a sly smile appearing on her face.

Dark Heart didn't reply and got her away from him. He gave her a glare, signifying that her next attempt at interaction better be more thought out. At that, Iris Heart blushed and put her hands to her face, imagining god knows what.

"I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. Strange how she is such a simple girl when not in HDD, or maybe this is her true self unhinged?" Lelouch pondered, while returning his attention to the conversation between Suzaku and Mr. Badd, which caused Plutia to get upset for no longer being a point of interest for him.

Meanwhile in Hyper dimension, chaos was about to ensue even further, as Rei was walking towards Planeptune accompanied by Croire.

Dark aura was radiating from Rei, as she had a sick smile on her face. She turned to her companion, having thought of a good idea.

"Go back to the other me's world and give her this." She said, a part of her power manifesting in her hand.

Croire got curious and decided to ask what for, as she took the energy.

"What are you plannin' to do?" She asked.

"With this, she can deal with the CPUs on that side! That way, I won't have to take care of the garbage over there myself!" Laughed manically Rei.

"Jeez, you're just like her. You go crazy the moment you acquire power. Well, I guess it is to be expected from a hell of a strong dark CPU." Smirked Croire.

Rei removed her glasses, revealing a red symbol in her eyes. Her Geass flashed for a moment, as she continued to laugh maniacally.

"Ok then, I'll leave you to your own matters and go do my job. Don't you dare start without me, you hear?" Croire said, before she teleported away, leaving Rei alone.

"Nothing can stop me, now that I've mastered this power!" Rei's sick smile grew, along with her laughter and aura.

After the conclusion of the explanation by Mr. Badd (Yeah, I'm too lazy to write out the whole eden plot line and make everyone's reactions to it), Suzaku glared at the old man.

"If you really claim to love these kids as your own daughters, then why did you turn them into this?!" He asked, raising his voice.

Adjusting his glasses, Mr. Badd wasn't about to let the accusation stand.

"Even if I did allow for things to turn out this way, that doesn't mean that I won't take care of my daughters!" Said the old man.

Both Lelouch and Plutia were running out of patience, as each wanted to crush the man and be done with this. Neptune noticed this and transformed just in case she needed to help Suzaku fend the two off. Vert and Noire nodded, getting the memo and transformed as well. Nepgear, who didn't want to be left out, followed suite.

Suzaku noticed that three parties were formed. The first was he and the girls, second was Mr. Badd with his daughters and third were the quite angry Lelouch and Plutia.

Neptune was the first to break the silence, as she spoke to the other CPUs.

"Lelouch, Sadie, please calm down. I'm angry at the man as well, but that doesn't mean that we should resort to violence when things can be solved peacefully." Pleaded Purple Heart.

"Yes, let's first think everything over and then reach a conclusion." Added Green Heart.

Lelouch scaled up his opposition, wanting to see if they were really determined to see through their path.

"And if I decline?" He said.

"We'll have to stop you by force." Said Black Heart.

"Noire, you'd dare to go against me?" Chuckled Iris Heart.

Normally the girls would shudder from her presence, but this time they were standing to prove a point, so they did not allow Sadie's terror to get their spirits down. Suzaku was glad that everyone shared his opinion, as he was awaiting Lelouch's response.

"Tch. Fine, I'll let him go, but under one condition." Said Dark Heart.

"And what might that be?" Asked Chrome Heart.

Lelouch turned to Mr. Badd, who was confused at the argument between the CPUs. The old man wasn't sure what action to take from the unfolding situation. He knew one thing, it was best he didn't step in and make the first move, as that would immediately get him under attack. He was surprised when the man in black and red armor's eyes flashed.

"Tell me where your main base is." Was the given order.

Naturally, there was absolute compliance and Lelouch received the information he was seeking.

"It is located in an underground cavern in the mountain, which separates Planeptune from Lowee." Replied the entranced man.

Suzaku clenched his fist, feeling infuriated by Lelouch's actions. The dark haired CPU, on the other hand, was satisfied and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Asked Chrome Heart, his gaze narrowed at the dark CPU.

"You have a head on your shoulders, right? Try using it for a change. I have a world to get back to and I will not allow any more of my time to be wasted. All of you can handle this problem while I deal with the main issue." With those words, Lelouch raised his hand at the ceiling and fired a blast of red energy, making a huge hole in the process.

He flew off out of the base and once reaching the sky increased his speed and dashed off to the Seven Sages' main hideout, leaving the other CPUs behind him.

It seemed that no one had rushed after him and Lelouch was glad for that.

"Better I do things alone. That way no one will get in my way." He thought and sped up.

Left behind with their situation to deal with, the other CPUs were speechless from Lelouch's actions.

"What's that jerk's problem anyway?" Asked Blanc, who wasn't quite pleased from what he had done.

"Please forgive Lelouch. He just does things a certain way." Nepgear started to bow and apologize to everyone.

"Nep Jr. there's no need for you to cover for him. I'm sure that he's just on edge because he wants us to get back home and make sure everything is okay." Said Purple Heart, smiling at her sister.

"Let us return our attention to the problem at hand." Said Vert, as she and the rest turned back to Mr. Badd and the creatures.

Suzaku was still unsure what to think of Lelouch, as his intentions were noble, but the methods he resorted to weren't just, in his eyes. Deciding that he would try to talk him out of his dark ideology, her focused on his current task.

"Maybe he just needs to see that all people have good in them, it's only a matter of bringing it out. Yes, even if he doesn't want to admit it, he's a good person at heart. He wouldn't have backed down if he wasn't." Suzaku thought to himself, a smile popping on his face.

"I'm sure that he'll come around." Suzaku smiled, feeling that he should not lose hope on the dark CPU.

With that the CPUs managed to get Mr. Badd to cooperate without having to resort to violence, much to Plutia's annoyance. Noire promised that she would use her nation's resources to find a cure to turn the creatures back to normal, gaining the old man's favor and gratitude. They all headed back to Lastation's Basilicom at a fast pace, wanting to drop off Mr. Badd and catch up to Lelouch as soon as possible.

Meanwhile at the Seven Sages' base, Arfoire had come to and had stormed out along with Warechu to who knows where, declaring she was through with the Seven Sages. This had left Anonydeath and Rei by themselves.

The hacker had finished watching the confrontation between Mr. Badd and the CPUs and let out a sigh.

"Oh well, it would seem that things are coming to an end." He said.

"Yeah, it does seem that way." Said happily Rei.

"Hmm? You're quite pleased by this outcome." Noticed Anonydeath.

"Well, we were in the wrong this whole time, no, I was in the wrong, so I'm glad that things are resulting as they are. When that male CPU arrives, I'll be sure to apologize and explain everything to him." She replied with a smile, realizing that there was no point in going any further.

"Is that so? Well, I couldn't agree more with you. I'm glad that I got to work with you and everyone, but this is goodbye from me." Said Anonydeath standing up from his seat.

"You're leaving, too? Is it my fault? I know I was always useless, but I really liked hanging out with everyone." Rei started to tear up from his departure.

"Oh, darling, you're so generous to show me that face one last time. I'm positive we won't meet again, but please fare well. See ya!" Anonydeath made his departure, waving goodbye to Rei, as he left the base.

Rei was now alone in the base, sighing to herself.

"He left… Now I'm all alone… again…" Rei was starting to get down in the dumps.

"Maybe I should've listened to Suzaku back then. Even if I'm no good at anything and made mistakes, I still had friends who cooperated with me and helped me out…" She started to smile, brushing off a tear.

"That's right, I've decided. This time, I'll be making the right choice!" Said Rei, her conviction filling her.

Suddenly, a familiar small girl appeared.

"Yo. Party's over, huh?" Greeted Croire.

"Ah, Croire." Rei took notice of her presence.

"You know, the other you has gotten super strong and…" Croire cut herself off, noticing that Rei was happy and had a refreshed look.

"What's up with you? You lost, but you seem so refreshed?" Croire was confused.

"I'm going to apologize and explain everything to the CPUs." Said Rei.

"The hell?! So you're just giving up?!" Croire was taken aback by the light blue haired woman's decision.

"I realize that I was wrong. I know you've stuck around with me for a long time Croire. I wish I could repay you somehow, but I'm afraid I'm unable to…" Said happily Rei.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! This ain't nowhere near over yet!" Said the dark tome, not wanting such a boring end of things.

"What do you mean? I'm sorry, but I will not change my decision." Replied Rei.

"If you're going to be like this, then we'll have to do things the hard way." Croire said pulling out the orb of dark energy handed to her by the other Rei.

Rei immediately realized what she was planning and started to back away.

"No, I'm not using that power again! I caused too much evil with it!" Protested Rei, backing away, fearful of the substance.

"Like I care what you think. Here ya go!" Croire teleported in front of her and forced the power inside her.

"No, stop!" Rei struggled for a short while, but stopped as soon as a bright light engulfed the room.

When it cleared, Rei seemed to be normal, until she opened her eyes, revealing the red Geass in them.

"So? How're ya feeling?" Asked Croire.

Rei let out a maniacal laughter.

"Yes, this is the true me!" She laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, so what now? You'll need a plan of attack if you're going to beat the CPUs, considering the fact that that drag Suzaku is with them. He wiped the floor with you last time, remember?" Said Croire.

"Hmph, he got lucky that's what that was. I'll crush him to dust the next time I lay my eyes on him!" Sneered Rei.

"Besides, I'm expecting a guest-" Just as Rei said that, a huge blast erupted through the ceiling, with Dark Heart dropping in. Rei grinned at the sight of the male CPU. "And speaking of said guest."

Lelouch stood up and looked at the two before him.

"I take it, you are the ring leader behind all of this mess?" He said.

"And what if I am?" Said Rei, noticing his eyes and grinning.

"Whoa, this is gonna be awesome! It's so rare to have two dark CPUs with Geass to face off against each other!" Croire was hyped.

Lelouch then became aware of what he was facing and made his sword appear in his hand, raising it towards Rei.

"So, it was another dark CPU all along, huh? Should've figured as much. Just a warning to you, but it'd be best if you just surrendered. Wouldn't want to have to explain myself to the others when I kill you." Said Lelouch, his gaze narrowing at her.

Rei was quiet for a while, as she was sizing up her opponent, but then let out a maniacal laugh. Lelouch wasn't fazed by her acting and continued to stare her down.

"What if you are a dark CPU? You can't possibly come close to the power I wield! Fool, thinking that you actually stand a chance against me! Witness real power!" Rei was engulfed by light.

When it cleared Lelouch could make out that she had transformed. Rei was now in her HDD, as her hair was still light blue, but was a little more concentrated as it went down. Her eyes were diamond blue with the Geass in them and her armor was black and white with light blue lining. A feature, that our protagonist sadly ignored, was her enlarged chest. (XD)

"Hmph, not impressed so far. Care to introduce yourself?" Dark Heart stated with a glare at the woman.

Rei's face was overtaken by a malicious smile.

"It doesn't really matter telling my name to a dead man, but I'll humor you anyway. I'm the dark CPU Cyan Heart! You will learn your place, intruder. There is no room for two dark CPUs in one dimension." Cyan Heart laughed maniacally, as dark aura surrounded her. (Well, I've read through quite a lot of forums and it seems that the depicted name for Rei's HDD is Cyan Heart, even though it's not canon, so I'm rolling with it)

"Hmph, like I-" Lelouch suddenly felt it, a pulse.

There was this urge to transform clawing at him. He could feel Rei's dark aura drawing it further to the surface. His heart was racing, as he fought the urge to go into Next form, to unleash Zero. He dropped to one knee and was holding his head with his hands, groaning in pain from suppressing himself.

"This is the one I sensed back in Planeptune. She thinks that she can stand against my absolute authority? Hahahaha!" The voice of the dark CPU echoed in Lelouch's head, as he was doing his best to keep himself in check.

He, however, failed to realize that Rei didn't seem to care about his behavior, as she summoned her staff.

"Hahaha! Bowing down already?! That won't make me spare you!" Rei laughed maniacally.

Before Lelouch could pull himself up, before having a chance to retaliate, he could feel a familiar sensation, as liquid was dripping over his body. He lowered his gaze to his chest, to find the staff plunged through his body, blood flowing from the hole and dripping down from it. The pain was unbearable, as he tried to pry the weapon from his body, but only coughed up blood, which was starting to drown his lungs. He could feel his conscience fading and his eyes closing, as darkness started to weigh on them.

"Da… Damn… it…" He uttered through coughing blood and dropped dead on the ground, transforming back to human form, laying on his back, as a pool formed from all the blood dripping from the huge hole in his chest.

At this, Rei laughed maniacally, pulling away the staff from his body, leaving Lelouch dead on the ground with a gaping hole in between his chest, the quantity of blood around him increasing.

"Hahahaha! How pathetic!" She laughed hysterically.

"Whoa, you just murdered him, awesome! What now?" Asked Croire.

"Now, I'll set things so that the CPUs come to me! Once they do, I'll crush every single one!" Rei laughed maniacally, as she left to make her preparations, followed by Croire.

* * *

 **Things certainly got out of hand fast, huh. Maybe I rushed things somewhat, but I'm really tired of the rest of the Seven Sages to the point where i just wrote them off screen :). (I'll spend a little more time next chapter on what happens with Arfoire and Warechu, as they are the only ones who i haven't made 'gee, i'm good now') Don't worry guys, Lelouch still can't die and he'll be back to life sooner or later. (Wouldn't have a main character to work with otherwise XD) He went out rather dumbly this time, dying while trying to keep himself from going Zero. That's something for later, so what better way to avoid spoiling the fun than by killing the main character again. (This won't be a Re:Zero where the protagonist dies all the time and comes back to life, cause i've made Lelouch a little too op for that) I plan to use his temporary death as a stimulus to the other CPUs in their fight against Rei, cause most of them don't know that he can't die, so be prepared for some 'i will avenge your death' cliches and a breakdown. Yeah, Suzaku's going to fuck up big time, with Rei regaining her power. Anyway, thanks for being patient with me and i wish you a great day!**

 **P.S. Should i keep the 'chan' that i made Iris Heart use? I was thinking over it, cause i know it sounds a little cringey, but makes the nicknames of Lelouch and Suzaku, how can i say it, less dumb sounding, at least to me. The only other honorific that i plan to add later on will be 'senpai' and yes i'm aware of how awful it sounds when read, but here's something for you to think about. Who will be using that honorific and to who will it be?**


	46. The wicked and the just

**Wow, this took quite a while to finish with the endless postponing that I've had to make. I've also somewhat reworked the chapters about Lelouch's past(16-19), but no major event changes were made, so don't worry. Shout out to soberan 123, who is the one who thought up of the names of the four nations and their systems. Thanks for the help :D! Anyway, let's get things underway, shall we?**

Chapter 46: The wicked and the just

After dropping off Mr. Badd and his daughters at the Lastation Basilicom, with Noire forwarding the old man to a research team to explain the situation to them and relay her orders to start researching a cure for the little girls turned monsters, the CPUs flew off towards the Seven Sages' main base. Upon reaching said location, they came across the huge hole in the roof, caused by Lelouch's arrival, but that was unknown to the group.

"Let's drop down from there." Said Purple Heart, taking note of the hole.

"There doesn't seem to be any action going on. Do you think Lelouch finished already?" Asked Black Heart.

"I don't like it. He can't have resolved everything so fast." Said Chrome Heart, a sense of dread filling him.

"Why don't we find out, hmm?" Suggested Iris Heart and everyone descended in the base.

Upon hitting the ground, they looked around to note of anyone being there. There was quite a lot of rubble from the collapsed roof, so everyone scouted the room to further inspect it.

The silence was broken from a terrified scream from Nepgear. It was the kind of scream that made your blood run cold, with fear gripping at and tightening your chest.

"Nepgear! What's wrong?!" Neptune hurried over to her sister along with the others.

Nepgear was on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes, holding her hands over her mouth to prevent any further sound coming from it. Upon seeing the dead body of Lelouch, with the hole in his chest and the blood around it, everyone became paralyzed with terror.

Neptune felt something block her throat from the inside. She couldn't utter a single sound, trying to hold back a scream of her own. With tears forming in her eyes and her whole body shaking, the only thing she was able to do was embrace Nepgear in such a fashion that Neptune was with her back turned to the body and was preventing Nepgear from taking further sight of it. Both sisters were sobbing and trying to push back their fear.

"Wh-Why… Why did this happen…?" Nepgear cried in her sister's arms.

"Sometimes, things like this happen, Nep Jr… *Sob* I-I know it's hard to accept, *Sob* but this is the truth…" Neptune tried to comfort her sister, while doing her best from not becoming a teary mess as well.

"Wh-Wha…?" Noire was shuddering in terror, tears flowing from her eyes, unable to comprehend the sight before her.

Blanc had started to cry. She felt like she would throw up, so she placed a hand on her mouth and another on her stomach, pacing away from the body and turning her back to it. She was taking in deep breaths to try and revoke the feeling of disgust.

"What could do such a thing…?" Vert was also terrified from the sight.

Suzaku after holding back his tears for as much as he could, couldn't take it anymore and dropped on his knees and let out a cry of anguish. He was devastated, failed to save yet another person he had started to call friend. Regret and anxiety started to fill him, as he remembered the deaths of all his friends. Those feelings were then replaced by anger. Suzaku was furious, for he knew the only person capable of doing something like this. Still a small part of him had hope that his suspicions would prove wrong, so he withheld the anger, not wanting to jump to conclusions.

"What is this?"

Everyone turned towards the voice to see Plutia. Her bangs had covered her eyes and her expression had darkened. Both of her hands were clenched into fists and were trembling from the sheer wrath overtaking her. Her body was surrounded by dark pink aura, as a frown settled on her face.

"Who did this?! Who is responsible for laying their hands on MY Lulu?!" Growled Iris Heart, her whip blade materializing in her right hand.

Electricity started to run through it and the aura around Plutia increased.

"I want answers!" She yelled, slamming her weapon into the floor, creating a crater around herself.

The only one to have the courage to stand up to her was Suzaku. He had brushed his tears away and was now looking at Plutia with a serious expression.

"Stop this, Plutie. Raging won't solve anything. It won't bring Lelouch back either." He said, trying to calm her down.

He thought that he would receive a slap to the face or some kind of violence from the woman, but instead she started to tear up to everyone's surprise. Iris Heart's tears started to flow down her cheeks, as she was trying to keep up her threatening stature, but failed.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" She said, as she couldn't hold herself back anymore and started to cry, causing the girls to be surprised.

The silver haired CPU embraced her in an attempt to console her.

"It really isn't easy for me to say this, but… life isn't always filled with happiness..." Suzaku said while holding Plutia in his arms.

She continued to sob and shiver in his arms, burying her head in his shoulder.

"And yet, despite all hardships, we must move on. So stop crying now and all of us together will put the culprit to justice, ok?" Suzaku said in a soothing voice.

After a few seconds, Iris Heart managed to regain her composure and Suzaku let her go. The others may have been surprised by her sudden outburst, but they were happy to see that even the terrifying Sadie had emotions other than her twisted sense of "affection".

He then turned to the body and walked over to it. Lelouch just laid there in his blood. Suzaku took off his coat and summoned a few bandages and started to wrap them around Lelouch's chest to stop the flow of blood.

"Why do you have bandages with you?" Asked Vert, curious.

"It's standard procedure for one to carry some bandages and a first aid kit to battle." Replied Suzaku, concentrated on his task.

His answer confused the girls, but they weren't about to question him. Not with the current situation. Nepgear had somewhat come to, with Neptune still holding her hand, as the two stood up.

"What are we going to do…?" Asked Neptune, disheartened.

Suzaku finished with the bandages and put the coat back on the body. He then picked it up and turned to the others.

"For now we'll return to Planeptune and give Histoire the news." He said solemnly.

"What about the kids? They shouldn't see something like this…" Asked Noire, saddened by thinking of how the girls would cry once they return with Lelouch's body.

"We'll… We'll have to handle it somehow…" Said Neptune, looking sorrowful.

Blanc had managed to calm herself and gave a silent nod to the others, as did Vert. Plutia was silent, but her face was bleak, devoid of her usual sadistic smile.

"Good, then let's get going." Suzaku said, making sure that he wouldn't drop Lelouch along the way and everyone flew off to Planeptune.

During the long and silent flight, no one had it in them to converse about what had happened. Neptune's mind was preoccupied with a rather heavy burden.

"What am I going to tell everyone back home?... Lelouch, why did you have to go and die on me…" Neptune thought with a sad expression, tears falling from her eyes, as she and the others flew towards Planeptune.

Meanwhile, at her secret base, Rei was plotting her next move.

The room in question was big enough to hold a grand ball in it, though oddly enough, the interior design looked more like a cyberspace network. Rei was standing on a throne her head leaned on one of her hands and a malicious smirk on her face. Underneath her glasses, her Geass was glowing. Croire was standing next to her and seemed to be impatient for events to continue.

"Come on, what's with the hold up? Aren't you going to pulverize the other CPUs?" Asked Croie, like an impatient child.

"Be quiet and watch." Scolded her Rei, her Geass glowing brighter.

In the next instance a copy of Purple Heart appeared. She stood in front of Rei like a robot awaiting input of orders to be executed.

"Oh cool. Looks like you remember how to use your Geass. So what now? What are you going to do with that thing?" Asked Croire curious.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to send it to attack Planeptune. I'm aware that I will most likely be destroyed, but that's the point." Chuckled Rei, as she then turned to the copy.

"Raid Planeptune. Destroy everything on sight! If you happen to be defeated by the CPUs, be a dear and give them my location and regards. Tell them I'm expecting them." Ordered Rei, as the copy then bowed and headed out.

At this Rei began to laugh uncontrollably. She could feel revenge's sweet taste. It was only a matter of time that it was within her grasp.

Back in Planeptune, the CPUs had returned, transformed back to their human states, and were now entering the Basilicom. Once they did, they first headed to a room where to place the body. Entering the room that he shared with Lelouch, Suzaku placed the lifeless body on the couch, whilst laying a towel under it to make sure that there weren't any blood stains. Everyone was silent. No one dared to speak against laying the body there, as none had the will to bury Lelouch. They all stared at the corpse with sad expressions.

"This isn't right. This whole turn of events isn't right." Muttered Blanc

Nepgear felt like she would break down again, so she left the room with her hand over her mouth trying to prevent herself from crying again. Neptune allowed her to do so. She completely understood how Nepgear felt. In fact, she wanted to just drop down on the ground and cry her heart out, but she was trying to be strong, if not for herself, then at least for her sister. Plutia, on the other hand, started to bawl her eyes out, as she went over to Lelouch and laid her head on his abdomen and held his hand. Noire was trying to not start crying again, as she went over to Plutia and placed a hand on her shoulder, lending at least some type of moral support to her friend. The other three sat down on their knees on the ground and looked at the floor sad.

Suzaku had taken a seat on the bed and had hunched forward, placing his head in his hands, as dark thoughts began to swirl in his head.

"Why did this happen? Why, Rei? Why did you kill again, when you promised me that you would never again do something so horrible?" He thought, sad and incapable of comprehending what had brought upon this situation.

"Was it Croire, is she at fault? How am I supposed to find out who is guilty? Maybe Lelouch was right. Maybe all I've been doing so far was for naught." Suzaku started to doubt his own conviction, as it had failed him once more, yet he still was too stubborn to let it go, as images of all the people he had helped and criminals who had reformed after he had stepped in flashed in his mind.

"No, there was a point to what I did. Every death that has transpired had to have happened for the greater good, right? Then why do I feel so empty right now?" He thought, as he raised his eyes to look at the devastated group of girls, who had taken the loss the worst, especially Neptune, Plutia and Nepgear.

"What good am I? I failed the people who became my friends, again." Suzaku started to shiver with regret and anger, as he was looking for a possible outlet for all of the rage he was building up. "Whoever is responsible, they will pay dearly."

His thoughts were then interrupted by the entrance of Histoire into the room.

"Why is Nepgear-?" Histoire cut herself off upon witnessing the situation.

Plutia turned around to her, with tear stained eyes.

"Histy… Lulu's… L-Lulu's d-dead…" She muttered out through tears.

"What?!" Histoire immediately became alarmed, as she looked at the lifeless body of Lelouch.

Vert took it upon herself to explain the situation to Histoire, while Noire helped Plutia calm down and brush the tears from her face. After hearing everything from Vert, Histoire also became saddened.

"What shall we do? We can't let the kids see this." She said, looking down at the floor with a mournful gaze.

Just then, noise could be heard right outside the room, to which Suzaku stood up and covered Lelouch with one of the bed sheets. The next moment the three little girls entered the room and everyone tried to make happy expressions to prevent the girls from catching on.

"Hey, why's Nepgear cryin?" Asked Peashy confused.

"Did something happen?" Asked Compa.

IF noticed that Lelouch was lying on the couch covered with the bed sheet.

"What's up with Lulu?" She asked.

To their questions, Suzaku smiled at them and rounded them up.

"Nothing bad has happened. Lelouch is just exhausted and is sleeping. Come on, let's leave him to rest." He said with a smile, but deep down hated that he had to lie like this.

"Huh?" The three were confused, as Suzaku picked them up and got them out of the room.

Everyone walked out after him, with Neptune going over to Nepgear to console her again. The girls realized why he had lied to the kids and decided to roll with it.

As Suzaku was walking alongside with everyone, he could feel that something was weighing on him.

"If it is to protect them," He looked at everyone and gulped down his nervousness. "I shall resort to any means necessary. It doesn't matter as long as they are ok. You would want that, would you not, Lelouch?" He thought, as he couldn't think of any other way to atone for his failure.

Just as they all entered the living room, something shook the whole Basilicom.

"What was that?!" Said Neptune startled.

The building shook again.

"H-Hey, what gives?" Noire was confused from the sudden shaking.

Suzaku ran for the outside of the Basilicom, as the others followed after him, but Neptune turned to Histoire and Nepgear.

"Nepgear, it's probably best if you stayed behind and looked after Lelouch." Said Neptune solemnly to her sister, wanting her to help Histoire make sure that the girls did not catch on that Lelouch was dead.

Nepgear nodded with a sad expression and headed back to the room. Neptune then returned her attention to the oracle.

"Histy, you and the girls stay here to avoid danger. It's time for this Nep to show the bad guys who's boss!" She told the oracle and ran after the others before Peashy could protest.

After she was gone, the small blond girl pouted.

"I wanna go and help Neptuna!" She complained.

"Now now Peashy, it's probably best for all of us to stay here. With your strength, you can protect us if the situation calls for it." Histoire assured her.

"Yeah, Pea. You'll be so cool." Added Compa.

"You shall become the guardian of this sanctum." Said IF in her geek manner.

After giving their statements a few seconds of brain activity, Peashy bounced up with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be a hero!" She exclaimed happily.

Histoire let out a relieved sigh that Peashy stopped pressing the matter.

Meanwhile, in a forest near Planeptune, Arfoire and Warechu were heading towards the city.

"You really want to go through with this?" Asked the rat.

"Yes, I shall challenge them head on. I'll take at least one of the CPUs down, even if I have to die trying!" Declared Arfoire.

Warechu simply let out a sigh at his companion's delusions, as they continued their walk.

Outside of the Basilicom, the CPUs encountered their assailant and were shocked to see their identity. At least the girls were. Suzaku, on the other hand, became enraged upon witnessing the copy of Purple Heart, his suspicion, about who the culprit was, was confirmed.

"Rei… This time, you'll pay dearly!" He raged in his thoughts, as he clenched his fists and felt like his veins were about to burst.

"Huh? Why's Neppy attacking us…?" Asked Plutia confused.

"Whoa, check it out! I didn't know I looked so gorgeous in HDD, Yep yep, I'm totally hot." Neptune was admiring her copy like she was looking at herself in a mirror.

"But how can there be two Neptunes?" Vert was confused like the others.

"It doesn't matter, we must stop her from…" Noire couldn't finish, as Suzaku had jumped a few feet in the air.

He started to spin, gaining momentum, and landed a powerful kick to the fake, as it was sent flying. (Yeah, it just wouldn't be Spinzaku otherwise) When he landed, he ran for the copy once more, taking out his twin blades. He then relentlessly barraged the fake Purple Heart with slashes, until the fake managed to push him back somewhat.

The four girls finally came into the action, as Vert and Neptune summoned a few swords and spears and hurled them at Purple Heart. Before the barrage could clear, Suzaku ran at the copy again.

"Wait, you're gonna get pierced by the blades!" Neptune tried to warn him, only to watch as all the flying weapons disappeared.

"Negate." Suzaku's eyes flashed for a moment and then returned to normal, as he clashed swords with Purple Heart.

"Coordinate our attacks. That way we can take her down without much effort." Suggested Noire.

"Stay out of this." Suzaku growled, with only one thing on his mind. Revenge.

The others were surprised at the proclamation and decided to back away.

"Jeez, what's up with him? He didn't have to yell at us or anything." Complained Noire.

Plutia, on the other hand, was worried for Suzaku.

After a few more matched slashes, Suzaku jumped away from the fake. He summoned his high tech military rifle and pointed it at Purple Heart.

"VARIS Blast." He fired a blue energy beam from the rifle.

Purple Heart blocked the attack with her sword, but found herself staring down the brown haired boy, as he had used his previous attack to get close to her with her guard worn out. Before he could make an attack the CPU copy slashed at him.

"Blaze Generator." The part of his body that she was about to slash was covered in hex-like energy armor and the attack bounced off.

He kicked her away from himself. With the copy staggering, Suzaku used this chance to get a boost of strength.

"Luminous Drive!" He instantly became surrounded by silver and gold energy, as it was emitting from his body.

The other CPUs then watched, as the male CPU made quick work of the imposter. Suzaku drew his blades and made an X pattern with them.

"Chrome Assault." He withdrew his blades into an inverted grip and disappeared from sight, only to appear before Purple Heart and do a massive combination of slashes with him switching his grip on his blades.

He finished his assault by slashing through his opponent, with both of his arms spread out, handling the blades. Suzaku then sheathed his swords on his back and an uncountable amount of cuts burst from Purple Heart's body.

There was no blood from the fake's wounds, as it was nothing more than an artificial existence. Where the cuts had been made was leaking out the energy that the being was comprised from, as it started to fade away.

Suzaku then grabbed the fake by the throat, as it was slowly becoming less visible, and glared at it, his eyes filled with rage.

"Where is she?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Extradimensional space." Replied the fading copy, with no emotion behind its words, no fear, no anger, nothing.

Suzaku let the copy go, as it disappeared. Naturally, having witnessed the fight, the girls had something to comment about.

"Heeeey, you completely bullied 'me'! You should've held back a little to make for a cool fight!" Complained Neptune, cross that her copy lost so easily.

Suzaku didn't reply to her, as he was preoccupied with thoughts of how he would deal with Rei when he found her. His expression was emotionless, but his eyes let on that something was off with him.

"Um, … Are you ok, Suzu…?" Asked Plutia, scared from the look in the boy's eyes.

"Oi, stop with the menacing glare, you're creeping me out." Said Blanc, trying to get him to respond.

"Suzaku, is there anything that we can help with?" asked Vert, worried for the state that he was in.

He still didn't reply to them, which got Blanc pissed.

"Respond, you jackass!" Blanc yelled, as she threw a punch at him.

She was taken aback, however, as Suzaku had caught her fist in his palm. He looked to see the worried gazes that he was being given.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, as he snapped back to reality and let go of Blanc. "I'm fine, just a little on edge, that's all."

The others became suspicious from the reply.

"You sure didn't look like you were alright." Said Noire.

"I'm ok, really." He continued.

"Well, if you say so." Said Neptune, putting her hands behind her head, thinking that it probably had something to do with Lelouch's death.

As she thought of that, she got depressed again and felt like crying, but held it in her. She had to. She was Neptune, after all. Always the cheerful girl, who was the heart of a group with her humor and carefree attitude. Now she had to struggle with the loss of a close friend and still be her usual happy self.

"Anyway, now that we have the location of our enemy, we should head out immediately." He said, as he transformed and urged the others to do the same.

With everyone in HDD, they flew off with Suzaku leading the way, as he was the only one who knew where they were headed. As he was soaring through the sky, the turbulence waving his silver hair, he could only think of one thing.

"Rei!" He growled silently, as he and the others continued to fly towards their destination.

At her base, Rei felt that the fake that she had created had been destroyed and was now smirking, sitting in her throne.

"Yes, that's right. Come to your doom, Suzaku. Hahahaha!" she laughed maniacally.

* * *

 **Welp, that's it for this chapter. The girls didn't take Lulu's temporary death lightly, with Suzaku now steamed to confront Rei, who will most likely be prepared for the arrival of the CPUs. Yes, Rei's Geass allows her to make duplicates of anyone except other CPUs with Geass. Note, Geass wielding CPUs can use their Geass on themselves, just thought of sharing this rule, that i've yet to exploit. As to why didn't Suzaku just negate the fake Neptune, my answer's simple. The guy's started to lose his cool and wanted to use the opportunity to vent some of the stress out. Anyway, thank you for reading and i hope you have a great day!**


	47. Desperation for Victory

**Wow, it's been two weeks since i lats updated, for which i deeply apologize, but lately i don't really sit in front of the PC for more than half an hour, cause i have quite the ton of things going on for me right now and i can't really dedicate as much time as i want to this story. I hope that i will soon be able to get back on my feet and start writing more frequently, but for now things will be as they are. Anyway, this chapter turned out to be the biggest so far, so without further delay, please enjoy!**

Chapter 47: Desperation for victory

A while had passed after the CPUs flew off from the Basilicom, so Histoire decided to go outside and assess the damage that had been done by the attack of the fake Purple Heart. The oracle was accompanied by the three children, as she became depressed upon witnessing the ruined exterior. The walls' supports were intact, but quite a few of the walls had been busted down and it looked like a bomb had been set off.

"*Sigh* Goodness, when am I going to get this fixed?" Worried Histoire, as she was calculating the expenses that she would have to use the national budget for to cover for the damages.

While the small oracle was flying around on her tome with a worried expression, Peashy had went over to a pile of rubble and had started playing with a few of the rocks.

"Cool! I wanna throw some of these rocks!" Declared Peashy, as she picked up a handful of small rubble and grinned happily.

"Pea, no playing with rocks." Compa tried to stop her, but the girl wouldn't listen and she started to throw them around aimlessly.

None were headed towards IF and Compa, so they didn't worry much, but a few nearly hit Histoire and at the pace that the small girl was going, the chance of the oracle getting squashed like a fly was rising steadily.

"Peashy, please stop throwing rocks. You could hurt someone." Histoire tried to reason with the girl, as she flew behind IF and Compa to the safe zone.

"Huh, why? It's fun!" Said Peashy, as she threw another rock, which was caught mid-air by an old woman.

"Assaulting us with rocks? How pathetic." Said the woman, as she crushed the rock in her palm.

Everyone turned towards the voice to see Arfoire and Warechu standing before them.

"Oh, would you look at that, it's the brats from before." Arfoire clicked her tongue in irritation.

Upon seeing her, IF shuddered away behind the others frightened for dear life.

"No, not the bad lady! Not again!" Begged the traumatized IF, fearing that the lady's appearance would be the harbinger of Plutia's arrival.

"Don't make Iffy cry, mean old lady!" said Compa, trying to protect her friend.

"Yeah, get lost, old lady!" added Peashy stepping in front of the others, her eyes filled with determination.

"A mere brat like you…! Tell me where are the CPUs or else!" Arfoire was starting to get pissed from the situation.

"They are not here. Now I would kindly ask you to leave." Said Histoire.

Arfoire's patience was starting to run out, a detail which her companion noticed.

"Hey calm down, chu." He tried to talk her out of it, but Arfoire was already grinding her teeth from anger.

"Like hell I'm going to calm down! We'll take these brats for hostages for when the CPUs return." Said the woman in the gothic dress.

"Yeah much good that did us the last time." Muttered the rat, as he recalled their failed attempt at kidnapping.

Warechu also looked at the little girl who saved his life back then. Compa was standing next to Peashy trying to look brave when in reality she was scared. This gnawed at the rodent's heart, as he could not bear harm to come to his angel.

"I'm through waiting. Now hand yourselves over or we'll have to do things the hard way." Declared Arfoire drawing her lance.

"No!" fired back Peashy.

"Oi, you aren't going to hurt them, are you?" asked Warechu, concerned for Compa.

"Who cares if these brats get a little battered? I know that I don't." Said Arfoire, as she lunged at Peashy.

Everyone else was terrified to see the little girl get pummeled, but thankfully that didn't come to be. Just Arfoire's strike was coming down on her, Peashy transformed, much to Arfoire and Warechu's surprise, and with a swift strike from her claws send the woman back a few feet.

"Mean ladies like you are gonna get beat up!" declared Yellow Heart.

After staggering for a few seconds from the unexpected hit, Arfoire managed to pull herself together.

"You are a CPU? Well then this works perfectly!" grinned Arfoire, transforming into her monster state. "I will destroy you with everything I've got and prove my superiority to the CPUs!"

Seeing that the fight would escalate in scale, Warechu signaled for the other three bystanders to get back. They went over to the safe location that the rat had gone to and watched the unfolding fight.

"Mr. Mouse, why is that lady attacking us again?" asked Compa, without fear, since she trusted in Peashy's abilities.

"Beats me. Maybe she has an inferiority complex. What about you? Are you okay?" Replied the rat shrugging his shoulders, glad that his angel was safe.

"Yep, we're fine. Now we just gotta wait till Pea beats up the old lady." Replied cheerfully Compa.

Histoire looked at the shivering IF and let out a sigh, as she turned to the girl to try to calm her down somehow.

"Here I go, monster lady!" smirked Yellow Heart and charged at Arfoire, as the monster let out a growl in turn.

Inside the Basilicom, Nepgear was inside the room where Lelouch's body had been put and she was really sad, as tears were again forming in her eyes, but she brushed them away, doing her best not to cry.

"Why Lelouch? Why did you have to die?" Nepgear muttered to herself with a sad expression and tone.

"You were like an older brother to me. You were there when Neptune was gone. I really looked up to you and…" Nepgear was sobbing and was on the verge of starting to cry.

Just as she was about to burst into tears she noticed something. The seemingly lifeless body of Lelouch moved a little and then sat up with him holding his head with one of his hands, as he let out a groan.

"Damn, she did a number on me." Lelouch complained to himself, as he then noticed that he was in his room.

Curious as to how he got there, he turned around to get up from the bed, only to find a paled Nepgear.

"L-L-Lelouch… a… a… a z-z-zombie…!" Nepgear was shivering with fear, unable to comprehend the situation, until she passed out.

Seeing her condition, Lelouch immediately ran up to her.

"Nepgear, are you okay? Get a hold of yourself!" He knelt down to her and tried to snap her out of it by shaking her.

Seeing as she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, cursing the fact that the others had found him in his 'dead' state, Lelouch decided to read a book on the bed till she came to and cleared things out with her.

But before that, he took off the bandages that he found on his body, knowing that they were practically useless and gave himself a quick check in the mirror.

"Yep, just as I had expected, no wounds or blood at all." He thought, giving his clothes a check as well.

He then picked up a book, which he had left on the table the last time he was in the room and laid on the bed.

"Damn that dark CPU woman. I could've handled her, if you hadn't gotten in my way." Lelouch complained in his thoughts, while he laid on the bed, remembering how he had to suppress himself, which caused his downfall.

He hadn't really expected a reply, but actually received one.

"What can I say? I wanted my go at another dark CPU. Also don't you find it strange that we refer to each other as 'you' instead of 'I' or 'me' when we're practically the same person?" chuckled Zero.

"I'm nothing like you!" growled Lelouch.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that, 'me', but as much as you deny your true nature, you can't change it. Do you know how much stronger we could be if we came to terms with each other?" replied Zero.

"I can't do that, because I can't trust myself. I am a liar after all." Lelouch said.

"The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid. We fear we will not find love, and when we find it we fear we'll lose it. That fear had struck and ruptured us. And yet, lying is a part of who we are. There is no such person as someone who has never told a lie." Replied Zero.

"You're awfully talkative." Pointed out Lelouch.

"I told you, i am you, only a more clear representation of your soul." Zero laughed, finishing the conversation and leaving Lelouch somewhat questioning himself of what if his statement was true. Could he deep down really wish to bring about the loss and destruction of all?

Lelouch was snapped out of his thoughts by the noise he was hearing outside.

"I wonder what all that's about?" he thought and returned his attention to his book, waiting for Nepgear to wake up.

While all of this was going on, the CPUs had arrived at Rei's hideout. It didn't take them long to find her sitting on a throne in the large room. She had a sinister grin on her face, as she watched them approach.

"Rei!" yelled out angrily Suzaku in his HDD form.

"You're finally here, traitor." Chuckled Rei.

Neptune, however, recognized the light blue haired woman with glasses.

"It's you! You're the one who sent me to this dimension." Said Purple Heart.

"Never mind that. She has a crime to answer for! We can ask her questions after we've made her pay!" yelled Black Heart.

"This woman… heheh-hahaha! How dare she lay her hands on my Lulu! I won't stop till there is nothing left of her!" Iris Heart was mad with rage.

"Did she really manage to defeat Lelouch?" Green Heart wasn't really sure of their opponent's strength.

"Guess we'll have to find out, won't we?" said White Heart, drawing her axe.

"Silence, ants!" Rei yelled at the girls, causing them to get confused.

Her expression darkened, as she stared at them.

"All of you are nothing compared to me! You shouldn't even be allowed to call yourselves goddesses, you weaklings!" growled Rei, removing her glasses and her Geass shining in her eyes.

The girls were surprised to see the symbol in her eyes, while Suzaku frowned at the sight of the familiar glowing symbol.

"Who are you?" Asked Purple Heart, feeling the malice coming from her eyes.

"A lowly goddess wants to know my name? Fine then, I am Rei Ryghts, the ultimate goddess!" Rei laughed maniacally.

"Rei, I will only ask this once. Why did you kill Lelouch?" Chrome Heart asked with a serious expression, clenching his fists.

"Is that the name of that CPU? Hah, for all the bark he had, he died all too easy! It was a nice warm up for me to get used to having my power again. Was he another friend of yours, hahaha?!" Replied maniacally the dark CPU.

This grinded Suzaku's gears. There was only one thing on his mind, the animosity he felt towards Rei. She saw that and a maniacal grin appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, you and the rest of these infants will join him shortly!" Rei laughed, as she transformed.

Before the others could take in the sight before them, Suzaku charged straight for her.

"Reeeei!" he yelled, as she swung with his twin blades at the dark CPU, who summoned her staff and created a force field around her, preventing the attack from reaching her.

"Hahaha! Is that all you've got? Laughable!" sneered at him Cyan Heart.

The other CPUs had joined the fray and each were attempting to strike Rei, who quickly got annoyed with their attempts, as she used her staff to summon a strong gust of wind which hurled them away.

"I have no interest in any of you ants, so…" Cyan Heart's Geass glowed, as a copy of every present CPU except Suzaku appeared. "I believe that these will be more than enough to deal with garbage like you."

The girls stared down their copies. Out of all, everyone was most concerned about the clone of Iris Heart.

"So, she can use her Geass to create duplicates." Said Neptune readying her sword.

"That's the least of our problems. If we want to get through and assist Suzaku, we'll have to beat ourselves." Vert summoned her spear.

"What's with him? He's acting on impulse and doesn't make a battle plan!" Complained Noire.

"Maybe he has some personal grudge against that woman? Anyway, here they come!" said Blanc taking out her axe and slamming it into the ground creating a shockwave which dispersed their opponents.

"Mmm, maybe I'll use this opportunity to crush each and every single one of these fakes. However, out of all, I can't wait to get my hands on my copy." Plutia licked her lips, her sadism and thirst for battle at full steam with god knows what thoughts in her head.

Each CPU engaged their fake and were locked in battle, leaving Suzaku and Rei to be one on one.

"Now that the pests are out of the way, let's continue where we left off, shall we?" grinned Cyan Heart.

Suzaku didn't answer her and charged at her. He jumped in the air, spinning rapidly and then delivering a kick with all of the accumulated momentum to Rei's force field.

"Still with the same old preposterous fighting style I see." Commented Cyan Heart, as his attack broke the force field, causing her to jump back a few feet.

Again she didn't receive a reply, as Suzaku charged at her with his swords again.

"Trying to maintain yourself calm to prevent going out of control won't help you against me! I will break you, but I won't kill you, at least not before I kill the other CPUs before your eyes!" Rei laughed maniacally, pointing her staff towards him, a magic scripture appearing in front of it.

"Dark Vortex!" The spell activated and sent a torrent of dark energy towards Suzaku.

The energy engulfed Suzaku, only for him to appear in front of Rei, through her attack, his eyes filled with concentrated rage. He delivered a swift slash with both swords, but Rei blocked them with her staff.

"I love it, that expression is the best! That anger born from your despair, I can't get enough of it! The best part about it is that you're the one at fault for everything that's happening. If you had the guts to finish things back then, we wouldn't be having this square off now, would we?" Rei laughed in his face, which further angered Suzaku.

"I will never fall to you! I defeated you before and I will continue to do so, because I am the one who has justice on his side!" growled Chrome Heart.

"There you go again with those foolish ideals of yours. Well, where has this justice of yours gotten you? Nothing has changed! You're still the same brat who lives inside a dream, unable to do or change anything, losing the people that you care about. The only good that you ever were was to be used as a tool by me. At least then you gave some type of results!" Cyan Heart sneered at him.

"I will never accept something acquired through unjust means! It will be just as fake as the clones that your Geass creates!" yelled Suzaku, as they exited the clash.

The two continued to stare each other down.

"What drives you, Suzaku? You don't have anything worth fighting for and yet here you are, going on about your deluded fantasies of justice. It really gets on my nerves, you know." Said Rei, glaring at the male CPU.

Suzaku was angry at Rei, not only for what she had done, but for that she was right. He didn't have a place in the world. What was he? What was his purpose? What was the point of having power? Those questions were in his head every day and the only answer he could find within him was to protect the innocent and try to find the good in everybody. And yet, that answer had always been shallow, he knew that, but carried on nonetheless. Stubborn bastard that he was.

"The only thing that you manage to do without failure is to get in my way and piss me off! Back when I first met you, I had a feeling that you'd become a problem in the future! I should've killed you the moment I laid my eyes on you, traitorous brat!" Yelled Rei, using her staff to create a huge magic scripture around the area that which she and Suzaku stood.

Suzaku was caught off guard by her words and was too slow to escape the trap.

"Gravitational Enhancement!" Cyan Heart activated the spell and caused the gravity within the designated area to increase drastically, forcing Suzaku on the ground, while she remained unaffected by her spell.

He struggled to break free from the binding, but couldn't lift a finger, as the ground was starting to crack under him from the gravitational pull. Seeing this, Rei delivered a punt to him and then proceeded to beat him down.

"You don't know for how long I've wanted to do this." She laughed, as she delivered another kick to his abdomen, making Suzaku cough the air that was being kicked out of him and groan in pain.

Rei then picked him up by his silver hair and lifted his face towards her. She had been expecting to see how he had given up from all the pain, but instead he was staring daggers into her.

"Why you little…!" She slammed his head into the ground, making a dent in it.

She lifted him up again, with this time blood streaming from his forehead.

"Feeling humbled yet?" Rei smirked.

"You do not scare me." Replied Suzaku staring her straight in the eyes, spitting some blood on the ground.

This irritated Rei, as she flung him straight for the nearest wall and he crashed into it.

While all of this was happening, Peashy was going on with her fight with Arfoire.

The yellow haired CPU was evading the strikes from the monster and was displaying remarkable strength, being able to push her back when their attacks clashed.

Getting the jump on Arfoire, Peashy used this chance to finish things off.

"Carnage Fang!" Said cheerfully Yellow Heart, as she performed a combo of kicks and slices with her claws, finishing with a dropkick with her leg surrounded by lightning and an explosion from her attack.

"Yay, I won!" Giggled Yellow Heart, jumping happily.

When the dust settled, Arfoire was back to normal and was laying on the ground grumbling to herself.

"Dammit. Why? Why can't I defeat even one of these CPUs?" Arfoire was mumbling to herself.

The bystanders, seeing that the fight was over, had approached Arfoire and Peashy. The girls went over to their friend, as she transformed back into her kid form and they all praised her for her great work, while Warechu got over to Arfoire.

"Rat, I lost again. I don't have any hope of ever standing up to a CPU." She sighed.

"Well, that you did, but it's not like this is the end of everything." Said Warechu, gaining a confused look from his companion.

"Come on, there are other things to do in life." He said, offering her a hand to help her get up. "We're chumps, so I gotta look after you. What do you say, think we can turn over a new leaf in life?"

Arfoire snickered and looked up at the sky, as she laid on the ground.

"Maybe you're right." She said, as she took his hand and stood up.

Histoire saw this and left the girls to play with each other and went over to the defeated duo. Arfoire noticed her and frowned.

"What is it? We'll leave if that's what you wanted." She groaned.

"Oh, I was just going to wish you good luck with your new beginning." Smiled the tiny oracle.

"Save it for someone who needs it. C'mon rat, we're going." Said Arfoire, as she turned around and walked away with Warechu following behind her.

Histoire watched as they went away and hummed to herself.

"Well, I guess that's that." She smiled.

Suddenly a familiar voice came.

"What happened here?"

Everyone turned around to see Lelouch standing with his arms crossed inspecting the place with his gaze. Nepgear was behind him smiling cheerfully.

At the sight of the boy, Histoire paled, while the three girls smiled.

"Hey, Lulu's awake!" Said happily Compa.

Histoire started to shiver and picked up a rock from the rubble next to her.

"S-Stay back, z-zombie…!" She said frightened and hurled the rock at Lelouch, who had turned his gaze back to Histoire from his earlier gazing around, only to meet face to face with the rock.

The rock nailed straight and sent him to the ground, not giving him time for any reaction. The kids were looking at the scene confused for a second, until they burst out laughing.

"Goodness, Lelouch! Are you alright?" Worried Nepgear, as she crouched near the downed young man.

He was groaning in pain, clutching his face, as blood was flooding from his nose and forehead where the rock had hit him.

"Uugh…" Was the only sound coming from his lips.

Taking in the sight and thinking for a few seconds, Histoire realized what she had done and immediately started to panic.

"Oh my goodness, are you ok? I'm so sorry!" She fretted, as she flew over to the downed CPU.

"Mhmm…" Lelouch managed to muster enough strength to form a reply, taking one of his hands off from his face and giving a thumbs up to the oracle.

"I'll go and get some bandages right away!" fired off Histoire and flew into the Basilicom.

After that, everyone had moved inside the Basilicom and were in the living room. Lelouch was now with a bandaged upper face, as only his eyes were visible and was sitting at the table sipping from his cup of tea. Nepgear and Histoire sat across him with their own cups of tea, while the kids were playing with each other.

"Now then, I believe that you want an explanation from me." Said Lelouch, taking another sip from his tea.

"Yes, you can start by how you are alive." Nodded Histoire.

Lelouch closed his eyes for a few seconds to think up a buyable story. Nepgear was listening very intently, as she wanted to hear the dark haired boy's explanation. He had promised her, after all.

*Flashback*

Nepgear came to from her shock and found that she was laying on the floor of the room.

"Lelouch!" She jumped up, remembering what had happened, seeing the young man in question to be laying on the bed, reading a book and she immediately started to tremble.

Lelouch, seeing her, let out a sigh and got up from the bed closing his book. He walked over to Nepgear, as she continued to shake, which got on his nerves.

"H-How are you-" Nepgear was cut off, by the slamming of the book on her head.

"Oww…" She groaned with tears in her eyes, massaging her head in an effort to relieve the pain.

"First of all, I'm not a zombie, so stop shivering in front of me, it's really annoying. Second, I promise I'll explain about this later." He said, smiling at her and placed his free hand on her shoulder.

"Lelouch…" Nepgear looked at him with tears flowing from her eyes and sobbing.

"Lelouch!" She wrapped her arms around him, crying into his chest.

"It's ok, everything is alright." He said with a soft voice, gently caressing her head.

"*Sob* You're alive! *Sob*" Nepgear continued to cry.

"Yes, I am. I apologize for worrying you. Now brush away your tears and let's go check out what was the ruckus outside. What do you say?" Said the dark haired boy, smiling at her and holding the younger girl in his arms.

Nepgear stopped crying and lifted up her head. She smiled at Lelouch, relieved that this was really happening.

"Ok!" She replied cheerfully.

*End of Flashback*

Lelouch put his cup down on the table and crossed his fingers. His expression was very serious, which made Histoire and Nepgear wonder just how important was the information that they were going to receive.

"I'll be short and clear." Lelouch said, clearing his throat, both Histoire and Nepgear impatient to hear him continue.

"I am immortal. Not only do I not age from being a CPU, but I cannot die as well. Well technically, the way it works is that whenever I actually die, I'm brought back to life after a few hours. As to how I got this power, I won't be telling you the exact details, only that it has something to do with my past." He gave his explanation, leaving the shocked expressions on the two girls.

After giving his statement some thought, a question immediately popped up in Nepgear's head.

"Does anyone else know about this?" She asked, curious for more details.

"Our Histoire is the only other who knows." Lelouch lied, as he in truth had disclosed the information with Rolo as well, but that was for him to know and for the others to not find out.

He didn't want them prying about what the circumstances were that caused his immortality and thankfully, when he told Rolo, the boy was merely satisfied being told and didn't ask any unnecessary questions. That was one of the things that Lelouch liked about his younger sibling. He could always keep things in check and was assured that his kid brother wouldn't do anything to compromise him in any way. If there was something that he deeply believed in, then that had to be that a good speaker makes for a good liar and Lelouch was certainly a liar of the highest class.

"I believe it is your turn to inform me of what is happening right now." Lelouch pointed out, as he felt that his face wasn't hurting anymore and started to remove the bandages, revealing that he looked like he always did.

"Ah, yes. You see, while you were recovering…" Histoire began to explain everything to the male CPU, though she was still surprised that he looked like nothing had happened to him, as he leaned back on the chair and crossed his right leg on top of the other.

Back to the fight between the CPUs and their clones, things were becoming out of hand, as Rei continued to beat down Suzaku, while the others struggled against their fakes.

Taking another swing at herself, Purple Heart clashed swords with her copy and was thinking of a way to turn things around.

"We have to finish these off quickly and go help Suzaku!" Said Purple Heart, pushing back the clone.

"We are working on it, if you can't see!" Yelled Black Heart, who was currently in a fast paced exchange of blows between herself and her copy.

Vert and Blanc were in a similar situation, but what each failed to realize was that Plutia had already crushed her clone, her dark pink aura surrounding her and she was now looking at the rest.

"How utterly pathetic. They don't moan or scream from the pain, so I'll just make it quick. It's no fun to play with dull toys." Iris Heart complained, as she dashed to the copy of Green Heart and sliced it in half with her whip blade.

Seeing this, Vert felt scared for her life and she watched as Plutia continued her charge towards the other clones. The dominatrix crushed the clones of Noire and Blanc with the same ease she did Vert's, leaving the other two speechless for a few moments.

Neptune noted that the others had finished and decided it was time she did as well.

"I guess it's time to get serious. Purple Drive!" Neptune activated her purple aura.

The boost she acquired allowed her to make quick work of her clone, as all it took were a few slashes to destroy the copy.

"Alright, now let's go and help-" Neptune couldn't finish, as Suzaku's body flew past her and crashed into the wall.

Suzaku dropped down, laying on the ground. He was thoroughly beaten, as his white and gold armor had cracks on it and blood was streaming from the many wounds that Rei had inflicted upon him. He barely managed to lift up his head, revealing his stubbornness to continue on.

"Ho, so you worms can use 'Drive'? Not bad, for low class infants." Cyan Heart sneered at Plutia and Neptune, taking note of the aura around them.

The girls concentrated on their opponent at hand, while Suzaku was struggling to get up.

"I'm… not… done yet." He panted.

"Suzaku stay back for now and take some time to recover. We'll take over from here." Said Purple Heart, preparing her blade.

The battered up silver haired CPU couldn't object to the offer. He could really use a break or two. He stood back looking at how the fight would progress.

"You ants think you can stand up to me? Me?! I'll show you just how grave an error of judgement you've made! Cyan Drive!" Yelled out Rei, black and blue aura surrounding her.

Neptune and the others could feel the pressure coming from her. Despite the overwhelming force against them, the five wouldn't back down.

"Let's go!" Initiated Noire by jumping in the air. "Volcano Dive!"

She landed her attack where Rei had stood, but the dark CPU had dashed behind her and kicked her away.

"Noire!" Neptune called out to her, concerned for her friend.

"It would seem that we'll have to give this our all. Are you ready Neptune?" Said Vert, preparing a large number of magic circles around her.

"Right!" Neptune began summoning energy blades above them.

Rei looked at their attempt of an attack and chuckled.

"Useless!" She yelled out, attempting to charge at the two, but was blocked off by Blanc's axe almost cleaving her. "Out of my way, ant!"

Just as Rei was about to cast an attack on Blanc, Plutia's whip wrapped around her left arm and threw her away.

"Now!" Ordered Plutia.

Vert and Neptune nodded, synchronizing their timing.

"Blade and Spear!" They launched the huge barrage of swords and spears at Rei.

As the weapons flew at her, Rei gave a smirk, as the weapons swarmed her and eventually erupted into an energy explosion.

"Did that do it?" Asked Vert, while Neptune went over to check up on Noire.

"She can't be standing after that." Grunted Noire with Neptune helping her get up.

Iris Heart, however, realized that that wasn't the case, as well as Suzaku, who shouted at the girls.

"Be careful, she won't fall from an attack like that!" Chrome Heart yelled out in concern for his friends.

In the next instant, Rei appeared in between Vert and Blanc and delivered a blow to them with her staff, sending them flying. Watching this, Neptune and Noire failed to realize that another Rei was behind them and they received a dark energy blast to the back, which knocked Noire out, reverting to her human form as she fell to the ground, and damaged Neptune.

"What?! Noire!" Purple Heart was shocked, while trying to shrug off the pain.

Another copy came at Iris Heart, but she blocked its attack and pushed it back. The dust from Vert and Neptune's earlier attack settled and Rei stood there without even a scratch, having put up a force field with her staff to protect herself.

"She can make copies of herself, too!?" White Heart was stunned from disbelief.

There were now a total of four Reis, with the original and three fakes. The dark CPU started to laugh maniacally.

"I told you that worms like you have no chance of defeating me!" She laughed.

Vert and Blanc stood up, readying themselves along with Neptune and Plutia. Suzaku, on the other hand, bit his lip, knowing that they are chances of winning were very close to zero.

"I need just a little more time. Hope this works." Thought Chrome Heart, concentrating his aura to heal him.

"Come on!" Yelled out White Heart, as she and Vert charged at one of the clones.

Neptune and Plutia each took a copy to fight, while Rei stood on the side and watched with a grin.

"I'll finish this in an instant! Neptune Break!" Declared Neptune, unleashing her signature attack on the clone.

Slashing though her opponent countless times, Neptune finished her attack by slicing upwards and sending the clone flying, only to reappear above it and send it flying to the ground with a sword dive, creating an explosion of purple energy.

"I think that did it." Thought Neptune, only to be proven wrong by the blast she received from the fake, which was still standing.

Purple Heart stumbled to the ground from the attack, her body aching from the pain and strain she put it though, while the copy was standing up. Neptune's aura was starting to dim down, as she stared at the copy which had righted itself.

"Is this it? No, I… I…" Purple Heart then remembered all her friends, her sister and Lelouch, who she knew she would never get to hang out with again, with whom she would never get her chance to get closer.

These thoughts filled Neptune with renewed ambition, as she stood up, her aura returning its density and raised up her sword.

"I won't lose! Victory Slash!" Shouted out Purple Heart, charging all of her energy into her sword and slashing through the fake Rei.

Once she did, all the energy erupted, completely decimating the duplicate. Seeing that she was victorious, Neptune allowed herself some breathing room and looked around.

Plutia was exchanging blows with her opponent, while Vert and Blanc were barely holding their ground.

"Sadie can handle herself. I should go and help out those two." Thought Purple Heart, dashing for the other copy.

Pluita was busy barraging her opponent with strikes in an effort to break the barrier that the fake Rei had set up. With each attack she grew more and more irritated.

"I will crush you." Growled Iris Heart, putting more force into her attack, which finally did the trick and broke the barrier.

The copy seemed to be surprised by the development and this caused Plutia to grin wickedly. She jumped up in the air, her aura condensing around her and lightning appearing from it.

"Here we go." Said Plutia in a cheerful sadistic tone, as the lighting formed an energy ball in front of her.

She kicked it to the ground with all her might at the fake Rei. When the attack connected the area it hit was completely devastated with the copy seemingly defeated.

"Now then, on to the main course!" Grinned Iris Heart, as she charged at the real Rei, who had become quite irritated that the CPUs were putting up a decent fight against her copies.

"Why you insignificant little…! How dare you stand against me!" Yelled out Rei, as she collided weapons with Plutia.

"You took something very precious from me and now I'm going to pay you back. I don't know how much punishment I'll have to deal out on you till I'm satisfied, so try not to die, ok?" Grinned Plutia, as both were pushing against each other.

This only enraged Rei further, as she pushed away Plutia and the two continued to clash their attacks.

Neptune, however, was still struggling against the final fake Rei and Vert and Blanc were on their last legs, which wasn't really of great help. The clone dashed at Neptune, but to her surprise the fake went past her and for the other two.

"Dammit, can't this thing just die already!?" Yelled out the exhausted White Heart picking up her axe.

"Blanc, look out!" Vert shouted, as the fake Rei had vanished behind her and was about to strike her down.

Blanc turned around to see the incoming staff that was going to make a hole through her with shock filled eyes. The next instant, two swords pierced through the fake, making it disappear, revealing Suzaku to be back at full power.

"Thanks…" Blanc replied quietly, as she dropped on her knees panting, trying to calm herself down.

"Don't worry about it." The male CPU smiled at her and then turned over to the other two.

"The three of you should go and take care of Noire. I'll help Plutia." He gave out the battle plan and rushed off to fight the real Rei, leaving the three out of breath CPUs to go over to their downed friend.

Rei and Plutia clash again, though this time, Rei was pushing harder and Plutia was starting to lose ground. With each hit, the two's auras collided, which prompted Rei to notice something.

"This wench, could she be…" Her thoughts were interrupted, by another attack from Plutia, which she had to counter.

"Tch, they managed to destroy the copies. No matter, I can just make more!" Yelled out Rei, noticing that her fakes had been defeated,as she created duplicates of Neptune, Blanc, Vert and Noire to attack Plutia.

Iris Heart began dodging the fakes' attacks and noticed something.

"Why not make more clones of yourself, hmm? Could it be that there is some sort of weakness to that power of yours? Besides, it is quite cowardly to sit back and let others do your work for you." Iris Heart taunted her opponent, as she started to slash through the weak copies of her friends.

"I'll show you to make fun of me!" Rei slammed her staff into the ground, creating a huge magic scripture around Plutia, which caused the dominatrix to actually be concerned.

"Dark Scripture: Amaterasu!" Yelled out Rei, the magic circle glowing and then engulfing everything within it in dark flames.

"Blaze Generator!"

Her attack, however, had only succeeded in destroying the clones, as the flames cleared, revealing Suzaku to have embraced Plutia and an energy barrier around them. Seeing this made Rei's left eye twitch in irritation, while Plutia was confused.

"I don't believe I've given you permission to hug me, Suzu, especially on the battlefield. You are a very naughty boy, who needs punishment." Teased him Iris Heart, as he let go of her.

"No, I-I didn't mean it like that, it's just that my shields have a very short range, so I acted without thinking a lot." Chrome Heart started to fluster, waving his arms back and forth, but then calmed down returning his gaze to Rei.

"About your earlier remark, it takes more stamina for her to create duplicates of herself then of others." He explained.

"And you know that how exactly?" Plutia raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"We… have a history together… Anyway, could I ask you to leave this to me? I have a surefire way to beat her and thanks to the time all of you bought me I managed to calm down and recover from my wounds, so I can use this." Suzaku wasn't really sure if now was the perfect time to share his life's story, as he gave out his request.

Plutia gave his statement some thought and then smirked at him.

"Fine, but after that you will have some explaining to do and punishment to take." She licked her lips, as she walked away, which caused a shiver to run down Suzaku's spine.

Rei was getting impatient, as she yelled out at Suzaku.

"Done playing around in front of me, weakling? I see that you've come to get beaten more thoroughly." She growled.

"No, this time, you won't get any hits in." He said staring her straight into the eyes, as he sheathed his twin swords and closed his eyes to concentrate.

"If you think that bluffs will work on me, you are in for a world of pain!" Cyan Heart yelled out at him, preparing to strike him, but then noticed that his silver aura had disappeared, which caused her to hesitate, as she wasn't sure what type of trick he was planning.

The others were also watching from a distance, as Plutia had rejoined them and Noire had come to.

"Oi, what is he up to?" Asked Blanc.

"Can you feel that? The energy coming off from him is increasing." Said Vert, as she and the others picked up the rise in pressure coming from Suzaku.

Rei also noticed that, but couldn't figure out what her adversary was up to.

"I've practiced trying to use this and it always ended up with my body being messed up for a week, but now, I won't be holding back, no matter how much it costs me! Limiter Negate!" Suzaku opened his eyes and used his Geass on himself.

When he did, a huge air pressure filled the whole room. He didn't seem any different, but the difference in power could be felt. This surprised the CPUs and shocked Rei.

"This is a bluff! You can't have possibly powered up that much!" Cyan Heart yelled out.

"Well, let's find out, shall we? Luminous Drive Times Two!" Chrome Heart unleashed his aura once more, though now the silver was starting to hint of bits of gold. (Yeah, I just basically gave him Kaioken. What can you do about it XD?)

Rei was about initiate an attack, when Suzaku disappeared.

"What?! Where did he go?!" She looked around trying to find him.

Suzaku then reappeared in front of her and delivered a heavy punch to her stomach, knocking the air out of Rei. She stumbled back clutching her stomach from the pain and gasping for air, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Wha?" Before she could right herself, Rei received a punch to the face, which sent her flying a few feet.

Before she could land, Suzaku kicked her up in the air and dashed above her, smashing Rei with his elbow, sending her crashing to the ground. He was flying above Rei, looking if she was going to get up, which she did.

"Don't you dare look down upon me! I am more than you can handle!" She yelled out, creating four clones of herself.

The now five Reis all slammed their staffs into the ground combining five layers of magic scriptures aimed at Suzaku.

"This will be where you fall, Rei!" Yelled Chrome Heart, putting his hands together at the side of his waist and taking a stance, as he began charging up energy into them.

"Magic Scripture: Pentagram Amaterasu!" Rei activated her attack, unleashing a hellish inferno of dark flames towards Suzaku.

"Super VARIS Blast!" The energy in his hands had condensed and he thrust both palms forward, firing off the light blue energy blast.

The two attacks collided and seemed to be of equal strength, rupturing everything around them, though the flames were slowly devouring the energy blast. Seeing that the current output wouldn't be enough, Suzaku steeled himself.

"Give up, Suzaku! You're through!" Laughed Cyan Heart.

"Luminous Drive Times Four!" He yelled out, increasing his strength even further, shocking Rei.

The increase made the energy blast completely burst through the flames and erase them, going straight through Rei and her clones. When it hit, it engulfed everything and tore through the interior of the base, creating a huge gaping hole in the direction Suzaku was facing, as the ray continued to stream further until the energy finally disappeared.

When everything died down, Suzaku saw that Rei had returned to her human form and laid unconscious on the ground, bruised up. He descended to the ground and was met with the reactions of the girls, who had all transformed back to human form.

"Wow, Suzu, that was awesome! But I think that your attack's name should have been Kameh- Ouch!" Neptune was cut off by Blanc hitting her on the head to signal that her advice wasn't needed.

"I believe that that was very reminiscent of a certain shounen manga." Mused Vert.

"Ahaha, well, you see even before I became a CPU I really liked everything hero related." Suzaku laughed, scratching the back of his head, as he transformed back to normal.

To everyone's surprise, he immediately fell down on the ground on his back and started wriggle, while groaning.

"What's wrong?" Asked Noire, as she and the others crowded around him.

"Are you ok?" Added Plutia.

"I-It's nothing really, OW! This is just a side effect of, Owowow, using my Geass to negate my power limit!" He managed to say through all the pain he was feeling.

"What an unreliable ability." Commented Blanc, which got everyone to laugh, except for the struggling boy.

After they stopped laughing, the tone of the conversation changed to a serious nature, but before they could continue, a voice interrupted them.

"Wow, that was awesome and disappointing at the same time."

"That voice!" Suzaku caught on to who was their guest.

Out of nowhere, Croire popped up and greeted the CPUs.

"Yo." She said.

"Croire, I should've known that you were behind this, ow!" Suzaku tried to get up, but his body wouldn't budge.

"Woooow… it's another Histoire…" Said Plutia marveling at the sight of the dark skinned blond girl.

"Why am I getting Badsty vibes from this one though?" Asked Neptune.

"Hey, stop comparing me and giving me stupid names! The name's Croire! C-R-O-I-R-E, Croire! Get it, you shitheads?" Raged the tiny girl.

"Heavens, this one's got quite the attitude!" Exclaimed Vert.

"What do you want Croire? What have you schemed up this time?" Groaned Suzaku.

"Well, since you asked so kindly, I came to congratulate you on your victory, even though it's quite insignificant. You've started to become stronger, but you are still really annoying with all that blabbering about friends and justice." Said the tome, making fun of the downed male CPU.

"I don't need your opinion." He sneered at her.

"Sure you do. Anyway, I came here to pick up that loser's power, even though I went out of my way to give it back to her. I thought that she could win, but it seems that the energy will have better use elsewhere." Complained Croire.

"So it really was you, who made Rei like that again! She killed Lelouch, because of your meddling!" Growled Suzaku, as he barely managed to stand up.

"Huh? Oh, that guy back at the base. I have a feeling that I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Anyway, see you later!" Said Croire, as dark energy left Rei's body and went into Croire's hand and then disappeared along with her, as she teleported away.

With Croire leaving, the girls were very confused about the exchange between her and Suzkau and were feeling left out.

"What was that Badsty talking about, Suzu?" Asked Neptune.

"I wish I knew." Sighed the brown haired boy.

"Well, what do we do about her? She has a lot to answer for." Noire asked, pointing at the unconscious Rei.

"Let's get her back to the Basilicom in Planeptune, where we will get all the answers we need from her. Don't worry, without her power she is harmless." Explained Suzaku.

The five girls thought about his proposal for a few seconds and agreed with him. Suzaku proceeded to place the unconscious Rei on his back to carry her on the way back. With that they all headed for the nearest source of transport that could get them back to Planeptune.

* * *

 **This chapter was all over the place, but i didn't want to cut it off mid-way and make it into two separate chapters, despite the fact that i could've. I have a few things i want to comment about. First, i've dismissed all of the Seven Sages, but don't worry all of the six members who went their separate ways will reappear in a later chapter towards the end of the arc, as i have planned something for them, hehehe. I think I did quite the shit job to build up Rei and Suzaku's backstory, but that will be the main topic of the next chapter nevertheless. As for Lelouch, yes the Geass affecting him makes him revive when he dies and heals his wounds. Think of it as kind of a reset hack that i've given him. Also a huge announcement concerning the pairings in this fic. I'm a huge idiot and you can discard everything you've previously read in one of my author's notes, so i'm going to lay out the current plan i have. My two main ships will be LuluxNoire and NepxLulu (With some Vert and Blanc here and there), plus i'll be giving Rolo some spotlight after this arc so there's that to look forward to. As for Suzaku, for now i don't really have anything special planned for him, except for his relationship with Rei. Goddammit, this got large as hell again! Anyway, sorry for my long blabbering. Thank you for reading and i hope you have an awesome day!**


	48. Past of broken bonds part 1

**Thank you for the long wait and now I'm here to deliver! Can't believe I was finally able to finish this. Took me more than two weeks with the way my current schedule is working. Anyway, just a quick heads up. I've made a few changes to Rei's Ultra dimension character to fit the story, but her Hyper dimension self is still that dumb bitch who wants a world without CPUs, also some of you may hate my guts for the way this chapter starts, though I hope there isn't too much of an outrage. You'll get what I mean soon enough. That was enough from me for now.**

Chapter 48: Past of broken bonds part 1

It took them some time, but the CPUs finally managed to reach the Planeptune Basilicom. Everyone was tired from the battle and the long journey, especially Suzaku, who was still carrying the unconscious Rei.

Upon arrival, everyone's mood worsened, for they were reminded that they had lost Lelouch, or so they thought. None were prepared for the surprise they were about to receive.

"Histy, we're home." Announced Neptune with a glum voice, as she opened the door to the living room.

"You sure took your sweet time getting here." Came a familiar voice.

The newly arrived turned their heads towards the source of the voice. Such a snappy remark could've came from only one person. Much to their surprise, they saw Histoire, Nepgear and Lelouch to be sitting on the table having tea, well at least Lelouch did. The dark haired young man was sipping his tea in a classy manner, as if there was nothing wrong with the situation, while Nepgear and Histoire had relieved smiles on their faces seeing that everyone had returned safely.

Unable to comprehend what was happening, or decide whether they should be overjoyed or confused, everyone yelled at the same time.

"WHAT?!"

Lelouch sighed, of course having expected such a reaction and understood that he was going to be the topic of interest for a while.

"You're alive?!" Noire was shocked to her core, as she screamed out.

"Sorry to say that I am. You won't get rid of me that easily." Lelouch replied with a smirk and a sarcastic remark.

"But… How?" Suzaku was at a loss for words, as he had a smile on his face, clearly relieved to see his only male companion alive and kicking.

"Before I get to that shouldn't all of you… Huh?" Lelouch noticed that Neptune had headed towards him.

Her bangs had covered her eyes and her lips were twitching. All types of emotions were flooding her at the moment, driving her to do what she did next.

Everyone was caught off guard by what transpired. Neptune had walked over to Lelouch, who was sitting on the chair, currently being on eye level with her, because usually he was almost two heads taller than her, currency to Neptune's short stature. Lelouch at first was confused as to what was going to happen, having not expected such a strange development. He figured that she was cross and he was most likely about to receive a slap to the face, making him prepare mentally for the incoming hit. However, a short glimpse of Neptune's tear filled eyes, which were locked on him were enough to say it all.

"Neptune, what are y-?!" Lelouch had been unable to process the information, as everything had happened so fast.

Everyone's jaws dropped, seeing Neptune kiss Lelouch, with the boy in question's eyes widening and his expression that of total surprise. Neptune had her eyes closed, as tears rolled from them. For Lelouch it was a familiar sensation, which he hadn't felt in a very long time. A mixture of emotions hit him, some of confusion, some of outrage and a small portion of lust.

"Wooow, a kiss of love…" Plutia had clasped her hands together in front of her with a blushing happy expression, looking at Neptune and Lelouch.

"Wha…?!" Noire was at a loss for words.

Nepgear was just standing on the side, looking at the two with her Nepgya face, forgetting the existence of words.

Histoire just blushed at the unfolding scene, giving out a mental sigh of relief that they sent the kids to sleep before the others arrived.

"Well, now isn't this wonderful?" Hummed happily Vert.

Blanc was too steamed to form a reply, making a mental note to use this as inspiration for her forbidden for the world to see fiction.

Suzaku had been taken by surprise at first, not having thought that there was something between the two, but for all it was worth he was happy for them, as he went over to the couch and placed down Rei on it.

The two's mouths separated from each other, as Neptune backed slightly away.

"Neptu-*Pow*" For Lelouch the punch to the face came just as out of nowhere as had the kiss, knocking him to the ground along with the chair, before he could even manage to form some type of reply.

Everybody winced, as that looked like it hurt, which it had. Looking up at Neptune with a confused expression, Lelouch stared at her, as she looked at him still with tears in her eyes and a cross expression.

"I guess that's what you'd call 'tough love'?" Commented Histoire.

For Neptune everything was surreal. Lelouch, who had a huge gaping hole in his chest, was now standing as if he had never been killed. For the purple haired girl, this was too much of a sudden stimulus to her emotions that she just couldn't keep it in anymore.

"That's what you get for worrying me like that, stupid Lulu! I thought that I'd never get to see you again!" Neptune declared, brushing away her tears.

The kiss was something she didn't realize she did, until it was already in motion. She didn't regret it per say, but it wasn't really how she imagined her first kiss to go, since she hadn't taken the initiative of getting intimate with Lelouch. And yet here she was, having kissed him, only to realize what she had done and in her bewilderment had sucker punched the poor guy.

"Neptune's… mad at me?" Lelouch thought in utter confusion, since out of all of the interactions he had had with Neptune, she had always been a ball of sheer joy.

Then a realization hit him, as it didn't take long to deduce the catalyst for this turn of events.

"I had thought that everyone seeing me dead on the floor might have shook them up, but for Neptune to react like this… I never suspected that she had feelings towards me… Damn it, first Noire now her! What do they see in me?! Can't they realize that they are better off without entangling themselves emotionally to me?" The dark haired CPU ranted in his head.

He righted himself up and massaged the side of his face which had received the punch.

"For being so short and slim, she packs quite the punch. Great, how am I supposed to handle this?" He thought and gave out a mental sigh, as he finally stood up.

"I apologize for worrying all of you, since you were lacking the information necessary to prevent that. Anyway, no doubt all of you want me to spill my guts on how I am alive?" He said, clearing his throat and deciding to ignore what just happened, thinking that the best tactic would be to change the topic of the conversation.

Neptune, as she had calmed down and had regained her usual cheerful demeanor, was somewhat thankful that he hadn't brought the subject up, but the others just gave him a disappointed look.

"He's going to act as if nothing happened, isn't he?" They all thought.

"Sooo, are you and Neppy in love, Lulu?" Asked Plutia with an adorable smile and sparkly eyes.

Figuring out that Lelouch would only worsen the situation, Neptune shot forward with her own explanation.

"Silly Plutie, ahahaha, there's nothing between me and Lulu, nope, nada, null!" Neptune exclaimed, nervously waving her arms around frantically, indicating that she wanted a change of topic, to which thankfully Vert obliged.

"Yes, you could say it was more Neptune's own fault. Anyway back to the topic at hand." Lelouch commented under his breath.

"I'm certainly interested to hear how you are still alive after a wound like that. That should have at least left a scar, since you're healed and all." Chimed Vert, while Plutia pouted that she didn't get the details she wanted.

Just as he was about to start talking, the unconscious Rei came into Lelouch's line of sight, prompting a reaction from said boy.

"Why did you bring her here?" Lelouch hissed, his displeasure evident in his voice, since he was sure that none of them had it in them to kill someone, no matter how much they were pushed, well considering the fact that Plutia was in a good mood, so he was likely not looking at a dead body.

"Weeeell, …Suzu said that Rei over there had information that might help us… Plus they know each other, so she might be nice…" Plutia responded in her usual slow paced tone with the smile on her face.

"What, feeling cross because she handed you your ass?" Blanc joked, in response to which Lelouch rolled his eyes and ignored her.

"How are you two acquainted exactly?" He asked Suzaku, suspicious of the other male CPU, since this situation proved to be the ideal time to get his answers out of the brown haired boy, on whom he didn't have as much information as he would like.

Hearing the inevitable question asked, made Suzaku somewhat nervous, as his facial expression reflected so.

"Um… Can't that wait for later? I, uh… think it would be better to hear the whole story with Rei awake, no? Oh! If you are worried that might attack someone, when she's without her powers she wouldn't even hurt a fly!" He managed to make an excuse for now, hoping that Lelouch would see his point, since he was still coming in terms with himself about sharing the truth with the others.

This behavior only furthered Lelouch's curiosity, but seeing as the other boy was desperate to withhold or stall for time, made him come to the conclusion that either Suzaku hadn't decided on trusting them with the truth, or simply it was a sensitive topic to him. Armed with his deduction, he figured to go along for now.

"Sure, I do not see why not. Since all of you are back and all, why not make yourselves more comfortable?" Lelouch proposed to everyone to take a seat at the table, which they did.

With everyone seated and their gazes locked at him, Lelouch realized that this time he wouldn't be able to get away with the simple story he fed to Nepgear and Histoire. Thankfully, he had thought up an alternative which was close enough to the truth to make them buy it.

"Alright, so regarding my being alive I'm going to be straight with all of you. I'm immortal." He said with a calm voice and expression, making everyone, who wasn't present the first time he explained this, 's jaws drop.

"WHAT?!" Was the collective reaction.

"Just like that? Aren't you being a bit too straight with us, Lulu? I mean, you're alive and all, but do you honestly think we'll believe something like that?" Asked Neptune, whose mind was blown from the revelation.

"Says the girl who kissed and punched me. I am cross about that, if you were wondering." Snapped Lelouch, folding his arms, to which Neptune's face showcased just how much of a nervous wreck she became.

With her face being almost redder than a tomato, Neptune gained the courage to ask the stupidest possible question.

"Um, are you cross about the kiss or the punch?" She asked in a goofy voice, since if there was one thing she knew that helped her counter stress it was making jokes, no matter how bad they were.

Lelouch, however, had prepared with a comeback.

"Which do you think?" He replied with a self-satisfied grin, which got Neptune pouting.

"Heeey, don't tease Neppy…!" Plutia came to the aid of her friend.

"Um, I'd like a little more insight on what you mean by immortality." Said Suzaku, returning the conversation on its primary topic.

"In my early days of being a CPU, I was driven to use my Geass on myself by a dire event that had occurred. The order I issued upon myself was to 'not die' and I haven't been unable to do so ever since." Lelouch lied, though he nearly choked when he remembered how it really went down, the sensation of Celina's hand gently holding his face, as she drew her last breath came back and nearly got him to break down.

The Nep sisters, being the only ones who knew about his past, quickly came to a conclusion for what he was talking about.

"Was the situation that made you do that, um… the person you loved passing away?" Nepgear sheepishly asked, which made Neptune remember that Lelouch had supposedly had a girl who was very dear to him and he had lost her.

"Yes." Lelouch solemnly answered, with said answer having somewhat of an impact on the others.

Neptune felt awful for acting on Lelouch, when he clearly mourned his lost love and the feeling was making her uncomfortable, but she didn't let it show.

"So, you had a girlfriend, Lulu?" Asked Plutia, saddened to hear that the person she inquired about was gone, feeling that she could've been great friends with her.

"Hey, Neptune, what was she like?" Noire whispered to the other girl.

"I don't know. Lulu never tells anything about her, not even her name. I guess she really means a lot to him, even if she's gone." Replied Neptune, feeling down.

"… Look, not that I don't trust any of you, but I really don't like talking about this." Lelouch replied with his gaze cast down.

Hearing this small part of Lelouch's past made Suzaku see the other male CPU a little more clearly and made him realize that despite the front that Lelouch was putting up, deep down he was just a wounded soul.

"It's ok, we won't force you to talk if you don't want to. You know hearing this I actually feel a little more comfortable about sharing my story." Suzaku smiled happily at the other boy.

Lelouch wasn't about to turn down sympathy and act like an asshole, so he simply nodded in agreement.

"Well, as long everything's ok in the end, I guess that we can sit back and relax for a while until miss nutjob over there wakes up." Stated Blanc, bringing the cup of tea to her mouth and sipping some of its content.

"Alright then, I'll go and get some bandages and first aid kits for our guest and all of you." Said Histoire, as she fluttered away.

There was a brief awkward silence between everyone, until Neptune interrupted it.

"Say, how about we play some video games?" She proposed, to which Lelouch let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that his fate was sealed with that statement.

"Wonderful idea! We shall set up a bracket tournament, with the winner receiving bragging rights over the losers." Declared Vert, after which Lelouch simply flopped his head onto the table, gaining a confused look from Suzaku.

It didn't take long for them to setup the game and arrange the order that the fights would be in. Vert was against Nepgear, Blanc was against Noire, Neptune was against Plutia and Lelouch was playing against Suzaku. To Lelouch's horror they were playing a fighting game called "Mort** K**bat".

While they were playing, Histoire treated those with injuries and had bandaged Rei where she was bruised, with the woman in question still being sound asleep and recovering. Vert had soundly beaten Nepgear, while Noire and Blanc's fight was fierce, but ended in the latter's victory even performing a fatality on the loser, which only further aggravated Noire.

"This is a very gory game, huh." Commented Plutia, which sent shivers down everyone's spines, especially Neptune.

With the two Planeptune CPUs' turn coming up Neptune decided to boast her skill.

"Sorry Plutie, but you won't be getting past this Master Gamer Nep." She gloated, as she picked up the controller.

True to her words, Neptune did defeat Plutia, but in the next instant realized that it might not be her character that was going to receive a fatality but Neptune herself.

"Aww, I lost…" Plutia pouted, much to Neptune's and everybody else' relief.

Then came the turn of the two boys, one of which was very annoyed by the turn of events, as he was constantly mumbling things to himself with a sour face as he picked up the controller.

"What's wrong?" Asked Suzaku, noticing his opponent's state.

"Video games are wrong, that's what's wrong." Lelouch grumbled, receiving a nervous smile from Suzaku.

The match started and true to his legendary prowess, Lelouch sucked. Suzaku beat him without much effort, which almost made Lelouch want to crush the controller and console, but kept calm, as he didn't want to act like a child.

From there on Vert crushed Blanc, making a subtle pun how her skills were 'smaller' in size to hers, which made Blanc lash out, as she was thinking about a sensitive topic concerning the chest area. After they got her to calm down, Neptune played against Suzaku. She still won, but was happy that it was at least more interesting that playing with Lelouch.

"Well, you beat me fair and square." Suzaku sighed letting go of the controller.

"Don't worry, I'm practically a goddess at this, plus unlike Lelouch you are at least a decent player." Joked Neptune, receiving a glare from the dark haired boy.

"Who cares about something like this anyway?! I may not be good at this pointless activity, but at least I am damn perfect at everything else!" Lelouch raged at Neptune, who was taking pleasure in teasing the dark haired boy.

Suzaku stood still for a few seconds, blinking a few times with the dullest expression ever until he spoke up.

"Jealous much?" He retorted to Lelouch, whose pride dictated he shot back.

"Oh that's it, smart ass. You and me, 1 on 1 in a game of chess. What do you say to that? Too scared to accept?" Lelouch fired off his challenge with a cocky grin.

"Scared? Me? Bring it on!" Suzaku, whose pride and stubbornness weren't any less than Lelouch's, accepted without having any knowledge about his adversary's tactical genius. He was somewhat good at the game, so he figured that he could hold his own against Lelouch. Oh boy how wrong he was.

While the duel between the two boys was going on Neptune and Vert played off their final round, which ended somewhat faster than expected with Vert proving to be the victor, after which both girls, out which Neptune was a little sour that she lost, returned to watching how the chess match unfolds.

"Well would you look at that, Checkmate."

The words were spoken with a huge grin and satisfied tone by the victor himself, Lelouch. Suzaku had been thoroughly beaten, as Lelouch had went out of his way to eliminate every single piece that the brown haired boy could have in his arsenal, leaving him with only his king, ultimately leading to his downfall. The loser in question was surprised by the outcome, as were all of the Ultra dimension CPUs. Neptune and Nepgear weren't really surprised, since they were yet to meet someone who could match Lelouch's tactical prowess, hell they would've been taken aback if he had lost.

"You're too good at this. Man, I lost." Suzaku chuckled as he leaned back on his chair.

"Lulu, you should learn to accept defeat like that." Neptune joked and was shot a menacing glare by said boy.

"Woooow, you're really smart, Lulu. I don't think I understand how chess works." Said Plutia marveled by what she had seen, oblivious to Lelouch's exchange with Neptune.

Lelouch glanced at the short girl, whose light purple hair wasn't exactly combed down and had a beaming smile, and wondered how he should respond to her statement.

"Well, it's not a game for everyone. Don't get down because you can't comprehend it." He replied to the girl with a friendly smile.

"He means that as an insult, doesn't he?" Everyone thought.

"Okaaay…!" Said happily Plutia, not noticing the full meaning of the reply.

Everybody let out a sigh that moment, courtesy to Plutia not being the sharpest tool in the shed.

Lelouch rearranged the chessboard back to its starting state, for he had further use of it for a later intended purpose.

"You were too straight forward." He said to Suzaku, while he arranged the pieces.

This prompted the brown haired boy's curiosity, as he raised an eyebrow and leaned forward from his chair and started helping Lelouch rearrange the pieces.

"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked, as he picked up the white rook.

"Just like the piece you are currently holding, your strategy was moving only in a straight line." Lelouch responded.

Suzaku looked at the rook for a few seconds and replied. "Well, I guess I'm not a calculating person."

"You could say that." Lelouch chuckled to himself.

While everyone continued on with their interactions, Rei was having an internal debate about what she had done, as she was slowly coming too.

"Ooooh… I screwed up again… I wanted to throw away my power, but my decision came back to bite me…" Rei thought, as she started to recall what had happened.

"I even killed someone… again… It's not fair… I didn't want any of that to happen…" She started to cry in her sleep.

The others took notice of that.

"Oi, is she ok?" Asked Blanc.

"Suzaku, maybe you overdid it with that final attack?" Asked Vert.

"No, I intently held back at that time to avoid killing her." Answered Suzaku.

"She's sweating and has a pained look on her face. She's probably having a nightmare." Deduced Lelouch.

"Uwah! Creepy! Lulu, you can tell what's happening in people's minds?!" Neptune fired off with her usual jokes, but was thankfully ignored.

"I'll grab a cloth to wipe some of the sweat off." Said Nepgear.

"… I'm so sorry… Suzaku…" Were Rei's final thoughts, as she came to.

"Aaahh!" She bolted up from her sleep, effectively slamming her head into Nepgear's, the impact looking quite painful, with both girls groaning out in pain.

"Oh, she's awake." Commented Vert.

"Owww… Huh? Where is this?" Asked Rei, as she massaged her head to relieve the pain and readjusted her glasses.

"Yo, lady! What's the big idea, headbutting my baby sister as soon as you wake up?!" Neptune assaulted Rei with a verbal rainstorm.

"I-It's okay. I'm… I'm fine…" Nepgear said, while rubbing her face.

"Uh-oh, you have a big bump on your face, Neppy Jr." Said Plutia saddened.

"Whoa, um, uhh… Can someone… explain any of this?" Asked Rei after calming down and taking in the sight before her.

"You're in Planeptune's Basilicom. We defeated you, brought you here and tended to your wounds." Said Suzaku with a stern gaze.

"Huh, Suzaku…!" Rei noticed the brown haired boy and looked down at the ground in shame, not having the guts to look him straight in the eyes.

"So, you're the dark CPU of this world, huh. Rei, was it? Well, since you've come to, I would like to hear an explanation from you about how you became a CPU." Said Lelouch.

"Oh, yes, that. Huh, I'm sorry, but… I don't recall seeing you before…?" Said Rei not sure where she had seen the dark haired boy dressed in black and gold.

"Ah, yes. You haven't seen me in my human form. Allow me to reintroduce myself." With that Lelouch transformed and Rei's eyes widened with shock upon seeing him.

"Y-You are… b-but I…" Rei blabbered unable to understand how the man she had killed was standing before her.

"So you do remember me, I'm flattered. The name's Lelouch, by the way." Lelouch said, as he transformed back. "You needn't concern yourself with the circumstances of my well- being, but just so you know I would like a thorough explanation about the events that have passed."

"R-Right…" Rei simply nodded, until she remembered that she had caused trouble for everyone and started bowing to everyone. "I-I'm so, so sorry! I'm very sorry about doing what I did!"

"Her personality is like the one from back home, when she is not transformed." Neptune took notice.

"Anyway, back on topic. You're a CPU, aren't you?" Asked Noire.

"I-I'm so sorry about everything!" Continued to apologize Rei.

"Yeah, that's Rei alright." Suzaku sighed and had a small smile on his face.

"You're soooo silly… Apologizing doesn't help us understand…" Said Plutia.

"Get you act together!" Demanded Blanc.

"O-Oh, okay. Well, I was a CPU… Yes, I used to be one…" Replied Rei.

"Please go into more detail. It would be cool if we get a long backstory scene. OW!" Said Neptune and received a bop on the head by Lelouch, indicating that she better shut up.

Rei glanced slightly to Suzaku and sheepishly asked him. "Y-You haven't told them…?"

"No. I guess no time better than the present." Suzaku sighed and resolved himself. "So, um… how do I say this…"

"You two are technically the first CPUs of this dimension, are you not? It's not hard to deduce." Lelouch said, shocking Rei and Suzaku, while the others were interested enough to remain quiet and listen.

"How did you know?" Asked Suzaku, surprised.

"In my dimension I too was one of the first CPUs, though it would seem that there is a slight difference between how the sharicites work across dimensions." Said Lelouch.

"What do you mean?" Asked Rei.

"Well, here one can become a CPU by simply obtaining a CPU Memory Core, which I've deduced are something akin to Sharicite shards, since they spawn randomly around the world, while in my dimension there were only two original Sharicite to begin with." Explained Lelouch.

"Ah, I see what you mean. Yes, if you divide the possibility and then carry over the quality of the CPU Memory Core and…" Histoire started to calculate something and started to blabber stuff that the others couldn't understand.

Leaving the oracle to her own devices, the others returned to the conversation at hand.

"Let me put it this way. I want to hear about the past of this world and what part the two of you played in it." Lelouch directed his attention towards Suzaku and Rei.

The two exchanged nervous glances, but Rei seemed to had convinced herself to go through with this.

"I understand. I shall tell you everything you need to know." Rei let out a sigh, as everyone prepared to listen to her story.

"Everything started a lot of centuries ago. Back then, the concept of having a nation didn't exist on this continent. The human heart had grown dark. War was endless. It was chaos…" Started to explain Rei, with Lelouch's interest peeked.

"Back then I was just a teenage girl who was barely surviving on her own…" Rei continued to tell her story.

Rei, who was 19 at the time, was walking down a dark street, dressed in rugged clothes and barely standing on her own two feet. The world was such a cruel place back then, as the innocent and weak were left to their merciless fate and were forced to survive. Rei was one such person, as she walked around, looking for shelter, since it had been raining that whole day and nighttime had fallen long ago.

"Oooh, I got to hurry and find someplace to hide, or I might catch a cold at this rate." She thought to herself.

Thankfully, fate for once shined on her, as she was able to spot a cave ahead. She quickened her pace until she finally reached it and slumped down against the wall of the cave, drenched from the rain.

"Why is everything so awful…?" Rei asked no one in particular and hugged herself to somehow keep whatever little warmth there was from escaping her body, as tears started to build in her eyes.

Every day was like hell to her and it seemed that with every past day it became worse. A year later, her eyesight started to worsen to the point that she couldn't see far away. This, of course, did not help her one bit, as it only added to her hardships.

Suzaku bit his lip, remembering what it was back then.

"There were many occasions on which I thought that going on would simply be a waste of effort, but I continued to push forward nonetheless." Said Rei, as she was about to continue her story.

"That's so sad…" Whimpered Plutia.

"Wow, uh, this is getting kind of dark." Neptune scratched the back of her head to only find the threatening grip of Lelouch's palm on it. "Yeah, I'm gonna shut up now."

"Anyway, sometime after my sight started to worsen, another war broke out." Continued Rei.

The now 20-year-old Rei was running as fast and as far as her legs could take her away from the gunfire. Scared and desperate, Rei ran for what seemed to her to be an eternity. For the following year, running and hiding was taking up most of her day along with her needs such as food, water and shelter. Thankfully it came to pass, but Rei knew that it wouldn't be long until another war eventually ensued.

One day, Rei ventured out to find something to eat, little did she know that it would turn out to be life changing for her. As she was going about around the streets, she saw a boy all by himself, sitting on the ground with his knees to his head and arms wrapped around his legs. The boy had brown hair and green eyes and had some blood stains on his body from past wounds. His clothes consisted of rugged up pants and a torn shirt.

Rei, for reasons unknown to herself, decided to approach the poor boy.

"Hi, I'm Rei. Would you like to tell me what is your name?" Rei said politely, as she knelt down to be on eye level with the boy.

The boy looked up and revealed that his eyes were strained and mostly red, but they showed the curiosity he felt towards the situation. Rei deduced that his eyes were like that most likely because he had been crying a lot, which didn't come as a shock to her. She too had been like him at one point, but she was making due to survive.

"Suzaku." The boy said his name quietly.

"You have a wonderful name, Suzaku." Replied Rei with a smile.

"Thanks." Responded the little boy, with a small smile on his own.

"How old are you? Are you by yourself?" Asked him Rei.

"I'm 12. I used to be with a few other kids, but… *sob*I… I left them behind a while back while everyone was still fighting… *sob*. We… *sob* were caught in a crossfire and… *sob*… I ran away… *sob*while everyone else being killed." Suzaku started to tear up, as he pulled his knees closer to his face, to hide from the awful world.

Suzaku had expected Rei to leave him all on his own after telling her this, like others who had passed by him, but to his surprise, she placed her hand on his head and gently ruffled his air. He lifted his head up to look at her, confused.

"You're still alive, right? Then there was some point to what you did. If you feel bad about what you did, then you'll just have to live on for the sake of the others that you left behind, no?" Rei said with a soothing voice and smile, as she continued to caress his head.

"But… what I did was awful… how could I move forward from something like that…?" Asked Suzaku in between his crying.

"To tell you the truth, Suzaku, I've never had anyone for company and I can't give you an answer to that. Despite that, I think you should still live on. I mean…" Rei said with a smile, as tears started to form in her eyes. "I am still alive, though I can barely see now."

"You can't see?" Asked Suzaku, concerned and saddened.

"Yes, I no longer can make out what's far away from me. Everything's a blur, but I am glad that I can at least still see in front of me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see you." Rei smiled, as she brushed away her tears.

Hearing her words, her kindness and her pain, made Suzaku just how much the person in front of him was suffering, but despite that she still lived on. To Suzaku she was like a shining ray of light in the dark world that he was surrounded by. He brushed away his own tears and looked at Rei.

"Then, it won't be wrong if I continue to live?" Asked Suzaku.

"No one can judge you guilty, so you just need to find it in yourself to want to continue forward." Replied Rei.

"Then, um… could I… come with you? I'll be of help, I promise." said the little boy.

This request shocked Rei. No one before had ever wanted to get involved with her. And yet here she was, with a small boy, who was willing to stay with her. She was overjoyed that she would have company.

"Of course you can. We'll both take care of each other, right?" Smiled Rei.

"Yeah!" Said happily Suzaku, as he finally stood up and his smile beamed happily.

"Ok then." Rei happily clasped her hands together. "Come on, we'll find something to eat and then we'll return to my shelter.

Just as Rei stood up and was about to move forward, Suzaku tugged her sleeve.

"Wait… um…" Suzaku stopped her.

Rei turned around to the young boy, who was at the height of her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Asked Rei.

"Um… can I… call you Rei-nee-san?" Asked Suzaku blushing, as he looked at the ground.

This strange request struck at Rei's heart. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, nor how happy she was, as she hugged the small boy tightly.

"Of course you can." She said happily, as she slowly let go of him.

"Thanks, Rei-nee-san!" Suzaku smiled joyfully at her and grabbed one of her hands, as the two set off.

Rei stopped her story to catch her breath and calm herself down, since these were memories that were the dearest to her. Lelouch was surprised to hear this development and looked at Suzaku to get somewhat of a read on him.

The brown haired young man, had clenched his fists, but his face was stoic and his eyes narrowed in something between a scowl and a sad gaze. This made Lelouch wonder just how much did Rei mean to Suzaku, considering he had yet to hear the full story.

"Sooo, Rei's your big sister, Suzu?" Asked Plutia innocently.

The question made the situation awkward, as Suzaku's gaze bolted to the ground and his fists tightened. Rei perfectly well knew that their relationship had ended long ago and hurried to clear away the misunderstanding.

"N-No, we're not like that… not anymore at least. Anyway, I'll get to that part later on." Blurted out Rei, sheepishly, which made Lelouch deduce that at some point they were torn apart and considering that the two of them were CPUs, Lelouch could already start making speculations, but he kept quiet, as he wanted to listen to the whole deal.

Neptune and the others, on the other hand, were becoming confused at an increasingly large rate, so they weren't really commenting, as much as they would normally do.

"Ahem, so, um, after that the two of us were out in the world together…" Rei returned to her story.

Three years had passed after Rei had met with Suzaku and the two of them were taking on the cruel world together. In that time, they had gotten to know each other better, with Suzaku learning that Rei was actually a big klutz and a nervous wreck when it came to making important decisions, such as when to move if there was trouble.

Thankfully, Suzaku wasn't about to let anything bad happen to the person who cared about him and had always taken watch guard duty, since Rei's eyesight wasn't in great condition.

Rei, who was now 23 years of age, had found out how funny and naïve Suzaku was. Whenever they would find something akin to a comic book or manga on their travels, Suzaku would spend a great amount of time marveling at the heroes in the stories, always saying how he thought it to be cool to help people in need and beat up the bad.

Suzaku's cheerfulness had started to grow on her, as she sometimes remembered the day when she found him and always smiled when she saw how happy the 15-year-old boy was, despite all the hardships they faced.

One day stuck to her, however, as that day they had come across a large massacre. There were dead bodies everywhere and whoever the perpetrators were, they were long gone. The awful stench of rotting flesh had filled the air and Rei found it hard not to vomit.

"Why won't all this fighting stop? Can't they realize that all that comes from it is just destruction?" Asked Suzaku, saddened.

Rei turned around to look at Suzaku. The boy was with a saddened expression and his head was tilted downwards.

"It's just how this world is, I guess. You're right though. I think that most people have long forgotten why they were fighting and now after doing it for so long it has become a part of them." Replied Rei.

"But that's wrong! Why won't they see it?" Continued Suzaku, as tears started to form in his eyes.

Rei embraced him and gently stroked his head.

"Suzaku, with the way the world is right now, only someone as strong as one of the heroes from the stories you read can change it." Said Rei.

"Then…" Suzaku looked up at Rei. "If you were strong, would you stop all of this, Rei-nee-san?"

"Of course I would, but I am not strong. What made you think of something like this?" Asked him Rei.

"You are strong, nee-san. You helped me back when we first met, so I am sure when I say that you will change this world for the better." Suzaku smiled at her.

"Jeez, I can't even see a good distance away and your putting such high hopes on me?" Rei smiled, as she ruffled his hair.

"Of course I do! You are everything I look up to." Replied happily Suzaku.

Seeing the trust Suzaku had in her made Rei feel warm on the inside. She felt that as long as she had Suzaku beside her, nothing bad would happen to them and, who knows, maybe they would actually be able to change the world one day.

"Alright, come on, let's go somewhere else and leave these poor people in peace." Said Rei.

"Ok." Replied Suzaku and the two of them headed off.

"Not long after that, another war broke out, which lasted for the next three years. We did our best to survive, but…" Rei continued in.

With the passing of the three-year war, Suzaku and Rei's lives only got harder. The conflict had once again ravaged everything and food was scarce. Their Spartan lifestyle consisted of Suzaku, now 18 years of age, go looking for food or scout out danger, since he was the more physically fit out of the two, and Rei was to organize what he would find and make sure that they would be able to go on with what they had.

Currently both were at their hideout and were munching on some bread Suzaku had come across. They shared it between each other, with both of them getting a half. After taking a few bites Rei noticed that Suzaku had already done away with his.

"Here. You're the one who does all the running around, so you'll require more sustenance than myself." Said Rei, concerned for his health, as she offered him her loaf of bread.

Suzaku looked at her oddly. Sure, he was hungry as hell, but he wasn't about to put himself before someone else. He knew that like him, Rei too was experiencing hunger, but here she was offering him her share. There was no way he could accept it with a clear conscience.

"No, you have to eat as well, Rei-nee." Suzaku dismissed her offer with a wave of his hand.

Rei thought for a moment to find a way to get him to eat and an idea popped in her head. She broke the loaf of bread in half and offered him one half.

"There, now both of us will eat something." Rei smiled at him.

Suzaku was about to decline her offer when his stomach let out a small growl. This made him feel ashamed if he actually went through with rejecting Rei's generous offer.

"Thank you." He said sheepishly and took the bread and started to devour it.

Their days would go on like that, until one day, Rei went on along with Suzaku on his search for food. Both of them had been walking for a while now and they were tired, hungry and thirsty.

Suzaku noticed that Rei was barely hanging in there and went over to her, placing his arm around her to provide support.

"If you're not feeling well, let's stop to rest." He said.

"Yes, please." Replied Rei.

Both of them went over to the nearest tree and Suzaku helped Rei lay down against its trunk. He himself sat next to her to take a rest.

"Ooooh… I'm hungry…" Said Rei.

"Yeah, me too." Replied Suzaku, as he gazed up at the tree.

Rei, on the other hand, looked to the side at a bush near her. She could swear that she could see something glowing. She stood up and went over to it.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Asked Suzaku, turning his head to look at Rei.

"There's something shining here." Said Rei, as she picked up the glowing dark purple crystal and brought it closer to her face to inspect it. "Do you think it's food?"

"I doubt it, that thing doesn't look like your ordinary crystal for sure." Said Suzaku, as he walked over to Rei to look at it closer.

"My typical luck." Sighed Rei, disappointed that she failed to find something to eat.

Suzaku, however, noticed something strange.

"Huh? Uh, it's starting to shine even brighter…?" Suzaku said, confused.

"Hmm? Oh, you're right… Huh?" Rei noticed it too, as the crystal in her hand began to glow brighter, until there was a huge flash of light, blinding both her and Suzaku. "Wh-Wh-Whaaaat?!"

When the light cleared, Suzaku immediately became concerned if something happened to Rei.

"Rei-nee! Are you ok?" He said, as he ran over to her.

Rei was sitting on the ground, looking dazed, but looked up at him when she heard him call out to her.

"Huh? What… just happened?" asked Rei, confused, as she reached for Suzaku's hand to help her get up.

Just as he pulled her up, without a second to get to form a reply, out of nowhere appeared a small tan skinned blond girl, who was dressed in dark clothing and had purple fairy wings. The strangest part, however, was that she was floating on a book. (Wow, déjà vu)

"Whew, I'm finally outta there. Huh? So, which one of you's the one?" Asked the girl.

If Suzaku weren't with her, Rei would have freaked out by now.

"Um, who or what are you?" Asked Rei.

"Hey, I asked a question first!" Demanded the girl.

"What do you mean?" Asked Suzaku.

"There was a shining crystal here, right? So, which one of you took it?" asked the girl again, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Um, that would have to be me." Said Rei, slightly raising her hand.

The small girl looked at her for a second and then burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Man, an older one became one this time!" Laughed the small girl.

Suzaku and Rei looked at her oddly, with Rei put down by being made fun of.

"I believe that now it's your turn to tell us who and what you are." Said Suzaku.

"I'm… Ugh, it's such a pain to explain. What you need to know for now is that we'll be hanging out for a long time, so I'll tell you sooner or later. Also, the name's Croire. Let's get along." Said Croire, getting even more odd looks from the two people in front of her.

Rei blinked a few times in confusion and yelled out.

"I don't get this at all!" She yelled.

"So that's how you became a CPU. Interesting…" Mused Lelouch, as he thought about the time when he and Celina found the two Sharicites.

Unfortunately, this train of thought didn't end well. (Great, here comes the terminal depression)

"Celina…" Lelouch thought of his long dead love. He didn't really spend much time thinking about her, because whenever he did he always got sentimental.

"Yes, that was the day I unknowingly became a CPU." Said Rei.

"Wait, if my math skills are correct, you became a CPU in your mid-twenties?!" Blurted out Neptune.

"Isn't that a little old?" Asked Vert.

"You yourself are at the upper end of that age bracket." Commented Blanc.

"Did you say something?" Said Vert with a cheerful smile, which was meant to hide her intentions.

"No, not a thing." Added Blanc, calm as always.

Plutia's mind was kind of struggling to let everything soak in, but she could still add something to the conversation.

"Sooo, how old were you when you became a CPU, Lulu?" Asked Plutia, slightly tilting her head and placing her index finger on her mouthing indicating her puzzlement.

"You're right! You never did tell us!" Said Neptune.

"Well then, how old do you think I was when you take a look at me?" Lelouch let out a sigh and folded his arms.

"18?" Nepgear tried to guess.

"21, but thanks for telling me that I don't look my age." Answered Lelouch, taking the compliment.

"What?! 21?! Then… where does that leave me? 15? 13?" Neptune fell into self-denial about her small frame and personality.

"Heh, what a coincidence, I too became a CPU at 21 years of age." Said Suzaku.

"Suzu too?!" Neptune felt like she wanted to dig her own grave and lay in it.

"Um, can I continue?" Asked Rei.

"Waaaait… I'll be right back…!" Said Plutia, as she went out of the room to get something, leaving everyone confused.

When she returned she had sewing equipment and materials in hand. The girls upon seeing her, thought that she had flipped her switch and that she was going to sew them all to make a CPU carpet for her room. The thought made them all shudder in fear. Suzaku and Rei looked at her oddly, while Lelouch already deduced what she was planning on doing and why she brought everything there.

"Um, Plutie… What are you going to do with that?" Asked Suzaku, confused.

"Oh, don't mind me… It's gonna be a surprise…!" Said happily Plutia and started working with the stuff she brought. (I wonder how many of you will be able to guess what she is going to make.)

"Uh, right… so where was I? Ah, yes, I became a CPU…" Said Rei, resuming her story.

After meeting with Croire, the tome eventually explained about CPUs and their powers and purpose to Rei and Suzaku, not that they understood her that well, since she wasn't really trying hard. A year eventually passed with this new status quo.

Suzaku found out that he didn't really like Croire's attitude nor how she always skipped out on important things that she deemed boring. Rei, on the other hand, was still having trouble getting used to the idea that she was a goddess now.

One day, while the trio was walking around and Rei was arguing with Croire, they were ambushed by a gang of hoodlums.

"Hey, you!" Yelled out one of the thugs.

"Eep! Wh-What?" Rei squeaked out in fear.

"Heh. Two idiots walking alone totally defenseless… Give us your stuff." Threatened another thug, not noticing Croire's presence.

"Hahahaha, what a stereotypical piece of street trash." Laughed Croire.

Suzaku instinctively got in front of Rei and glared at the thugs.

"And what if we object?" He said.

"Huh? You want to be taught your place, kid?" Sneered at him another hoodlum.

Taking notice that Rei was scared and that Croire had no intention of being useful, Suzaku tensed up to prepare for what he was about to do. He knew it was stupid, but they didn't have much choice anyway.

"We don't want trouble. Just leave us alone." Said Suzaku, clenching his fists, ready for what came next.

"Like hell we will!" Yelled out one of the thugs, as he attempted to hit Suzaku with a steel pipe.

To his surprise, Suzaku effortlessly dodged the strike and managed to grab his hand and threw him over his shoulder. The thump on the ground from the fall of the thug sounded like it hurt.

Rei was shivering in fear. In all these years she had always somehow managed to avoid things like this, but now there was no getting out of it.

"There are four of them total, not counting the one on the ground. I think I can handle them for enough time to let Rei escape." Suzaku thought.

"Damn kid, thinks he's tough, huh? Let's give him hell boys!" Said one of the thugs, as all charged at Suzaku.

"Rei-nee, run for it! I'll be fine!" He told her, as he dodged one of the strikes at him and delivered a swift right hook to the jaw of the man that had attacked him, effectively knocking him out.

Rei just stood there paralyzed with fear, as she watched Suzaku take on the whole gang. At first he was doing well, knocking a few of the members around, but the numbers advantage started to get to him, as he already had a few wounds from the steel pipes if not broken bones.

"Suzaku…" Rei gasped in horror.

"Huh, and he was going with a good start too." Commented Croire, as if nothing bad was happening.

"What should I do?!" Rei panicked.

"Gee, I wonder. If you use your powers, these idiots don't stand a chance." Said Croire.

"But… but…" Seeing Suzaku get thrown to the ground with all the blood spilling from him shattered whatever hesitation Rei had.

There was a bright flash of light, which caught everyone's attention.

"Huh? What the hell?!" Yelled out one of the thugs.

"Huh…?" Suzaku was barely able to make out Rei's silhouette when the light cleared.

Rei was now in her HDD, her body covered in black and white armor with cyan linings. The armor and wings floating around her was mainly white with cyan linings. Her hair was now a deeper cyan color, compared to the pale light blue it was normally. Her eyes were neon blue with a red glowing emblem in them. One particular change, however, stuck out to Suzaku- her larger chest. If he wasn't in so much pain right now, he would've been blushing so hard it would make a tomato jealous.

"Hoo-boy. Not too shaby." Croire commented on her appearance.

"Is this, me?" Asked Rei, as she looked at her body.

"What the hell?!" The thugs were frightened.

"She's a monster! Screw this, let's get outta here!" Screamed out one and they all bailed on the situation.

With the threat gone, Suzaku was able support himself on his elbows, so he wasn't lying on the ground in pain. He looked up at Rei to see her new changed image.

"Suzaku, are you ok?!" Said Rei, as she levitated towards him.

"Is that… you, Rei-nee?" Suzaku was in utter shock upon seeing her.

"Who else do you think it is, smartass?" Said Croire.

Ignoring her comment, Rei knelt down before Suzaku, checking his condition.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Said Suzaku, as he attempted to stand up, only to fail and to fall in Rei's arms.

"No, you're not." Said Rei, as she then turned to Croire. "Croire, can I use my powers to heal?"

"Huh? How should I know? I guess, you can?" Said Croire scratching her head in confusion.

"Then, … Let's give this a try." Said Rei, as she closed her eyes and concentrated her energy into her hands with the intent to heal Suzaku.

Suzaku was surprised, as he gradually stopped to feel any sort of pain and had regained his strength to move his limbs.

"It worked!" Said happily Rei, as she opened her eyes and saw that Suzaku was better and hugged him.

Suzaku immediately started to blush, as he could feel Rei's chest pressing against his.

"Um, I'm ok now, you can let go." He said.

"Oh, right!" Said Rei and let him go.

Suzaku continued to stare at her, which Rei noticed.

"Suzaku, is everything ok?" Asked Rei.

"It's not just the part that you look different, but… you aren't panicking about what to do…" Suzaku pointed out the obvious change in character.

"Huh?" It took a few seconds for Rei to realize what he meant. "You're right!"

"Well what do you expect? She is a top notch dark CPU after all. Just look at that awesome Geass." Commented Croire.

"Huh?" Both Suzaku and Rei were confused.

"*Sigh* Great, I have to explain even more things…" Mumbled Croire.

It took quite a while to explain everything about the types of CPUs and Geass, but Croire was eventually able to finish with the boring explanations.

Hearing everything both Rei and Suzaku were thinking over everything they had learned. Suzaku was the first to speak.

"Isn't this great, Rei-nee?" Asked Suzaku with an excited tone.

"Huh?" Rei was confused from his question.

"With your power you can stop all of this violence and change this world for the better." Said happily Suzaku.

Hearing his statement and thinking over it, made Rei realize that what he said was true. She did have the power to change the world.

"You're right. I'm strong… I have the power to fix this world." Rei said, as a smirk befell her.

"Oh, what's this? We're finally going to be doing something interesting?" Croire's ears perked up.

"Hey, Croire, what does my Geass do anyway?" Asked Rei.

"I told you already, every CPU has a different Geass. Just try it out on Suzaku and find out." Said Croire.

"Yeah, let's do it." Added Suzaku.

Rei wasn't really too keen on the idea to use Suzaku as a test subject, but the boy himself had agreed to it, so nothing bad could happen, right? As she concentrated her energy into her eyes, the symbol glowed and in the next instance there were was another Suzaku standing between her and the original with a bland expression.

"Whoa!" Suzaku marveled at his copy.

"Oho, so you can make duplicates of people and control them, huh." Commented Croire.

"That's so cool." Said Suzaku, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Hearing Suzaku's praise made Rei happy, but for some reason she was even happier to find out what her power was.

Soon after, the trio set off to make the world a better place. The way they went about it was that they offered people the chance to follow Rei and stop their foolish fighting, or if they refused Rei beat some sense into them. It was all within good intentions so there weren't any serious casualties whenever someone revolted against Rei, though Suzaku did start to notice a slight change in Rei's demeanor. She was more confident, to the point where you could say that she was full of herself, but she acted like that only when she was in front of others and she never acted that way with Suzaku, so his doubts were always put to rest. He figured that he was just imagining things, since Rei was always nice to him and she was helping the people.

On one of their walks, Croire brought a certain subject up.

"Hey, why not establish your own nation on this continent? It is why a CPU's power exists after all." Proposed Croire.

Rei was now wearing her usual black and white business suit, with long white boots and black and white gloves. She had also gotten glasses with silver frames to help her see, because even though in HDD she didn't need them, in human form her eyesight was still bad.

"Hmm… maybe I will. I'm a bit reluctant to do it." Said Rei after giving it some thought.

"Why? If you do, the people will be grateful to you and there won't be any fighting anymore." Said Suzaku happily.

Suzaku at this point in time was too dressed in a business suit, though his was orange with black linings.

If there was one thing strange about Rei at that point, it was how her attitude always changed whenever Suzaku was involved. Usually she would act arrogant, but when with Suzaku, she would be her normal kind self.

"Hmm… Ok, I'll do it." Replied Rei, thinking through everything that having a nation would entail.

"With you as the goddess, Rei-nee, this world will prosper and become a great place, which everyone can call home." Suzaku smiled at her.

"That's very kind of you to say." Rei smiled back at him.

"Ugh, again with the special treatment." Croire mumbled to herself, annoyed with the routine in which Rei reverted to her usual self when she was with Suzaku.

What none of them understood, however, was that Suzaku's positive attitude and outlook was the only thing keeping Rei from going full on tyrant on the whole world.

Soon enough, Rei founded her own nation, which she named Tari, and declared herself CPU Cyan Heart, goddess of said nation.

"Tari, you say…?" Blanc recognized the name.

"Have you been there, Blanc?!" Neptune was shocked.

"No. I've read about it in some old documents." Said Blanc. "It was said to be a nation ruled with despotism and tyranny. That was Tari."

"I figured it was only a legend, but to hear it really existed…" Explained Blanc.

"Records may exist in my database, too. A search would take about three days, so I will refrain for now." Added Histoire.

"Uggggh… So it got passed down as a legend? How embarrassing…" Said Rei, wanting to be lower than the grass.

"It's to be expected, given what you did." Said sternly Suzaku.

"Yeah, I know…" Rei said sheepishly.

"Hmm? Something must have gone south for them to be on such terms." Lelouch thought to himself. "Well, either way, I've already figured out who's at fault for everything going on here."

* * *

 **And, cut! We'll continue off the story between Suzaku and Rei next chapter folks. First and foremost, don't kill me about the NepxLulu scene at the beginning of the chapter. If you haven't noticed, I've been leaving hints about Neptune's feelings towards Lelouch in the past couple of chapters, so if you think it was a poor writing choice you are free to say so but know that I am satisfied with the decision I made. The way I see it, from Noire Lelouch got a confession and from Neptune he got a kiss, so it's like they are balancing each other out. Note that I am going to be using this to build up their relationship from here on, but don't expect something like next chapter they are both in bed or anything like that. I would like to hear what you think on the way I'm telling Suzaku and Rei's origins, with Rei being a third person narrator and stopping to let a few comments from her audience flow. Also, yeah it is safe to say that Lelouch has already deduced that Croire is at fault for not helping Rei keep her power in check, but what he doesn't know is that the rascal fucked up his life and his encounter with her is growing ever closer. I also hope that this backstory will somewhat lessen the hate towards Suzaku, since I don't really plan to make him the annoying asshole that always gets in Lelouch's face. It would also seem that our favorite Spinzaku has a thing for older women XD. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you have an awesome day!**


	49. Past of broken bonds part 2

**Finally! After three whole months I finally got my lazy ass to write this chapter! I know that that's ridiculously long, but I couldn't help it. I'm really sorry for the delay to everyone who wanted to see how things continue. Anyway, enough from me. Please enjoy the return from the dead of this fic XD.**

Chapter 49: Past of broken bonds part 2

"Um, so, where was I…? Ah, yes! I established my own nation and united all people on the continent…" Rei resumed her narration.

Two years had passed since the nation Tari was founded. Rei was currently standing at the top of the world, with Croire still tagging along with her, but not as an oracle of a nation, but rather an annoying companion, who always complained how boring things were. For those two years Suzaku had left Rei and Croire to go around Gamindustri and help the people however he could.

Croire, of course, was glad that she wasn't in the presence of the annoying young man, while Rei, with Suzaku gone off around Gamindustri, was left to deal with everything on her own.

It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that she was starting to act more and more like a tyrant to the people.

Currently Rei was in her Basilicom, sitting on her throne, playing with some magic in her palm.

"Hmph. Boring. Founding my own nation was too easy. Well, I guess that's only natural with my powers!" Gloated Rei, as the energy in her hand turned from wind to fire.

Croire, being the one who had to spend most of her time with Rei, was subjugated to her behavior and was wondering if Rei could get any more annoying.

"Oh yeah. Wow… so amazing. What an amazing person you are." Croire said sarcastically.

"Don't patronize me. You have the honor of praising me, so do it with your heart and soul!" Demanded Rei, as she clasped her hand, extinguishing the flame.

"Shut up. You already make your nation's citizens do that." Replied Croire annoyed.

"And they should be. Those filthy and disgusting barbarians should know better than to question me, their goddess, the one responsible for their current well-being!" Said Rei and then laughed maniacally. "How kind of me to allow such revolting creatures to continue living!"

"Uh-huh. What do you think that dunce will say about it, though?" Asked Croire.

"Suzaku? Why would he have anything against what I am doing? I am doing the right thing. I am only teaching these monkeys their place." Said Rei confused, as in her eyes she wasn't doing anything bad and she was even preventing future wars from happening ever again, sadly, it would seem that her power was starting to blind her to the obvious things around her.

Croire let out a sigh and floated off to somewhere, leaving Rei to her own devices. "Never mind."

As she floated around, Croire thought to herself.

"So she still hasn't realized that her powers are linked to the belief of the people. At the rate this is going she'll end up with not even an ounce of strength, unless…" A grin formed on Croire's face, as she thought of a very interesting idea.

"Normally, I would leave her to handle the consequences of her stupidity, but it would be boring to just let her powers diminish and go to waste, when the crash hits. Now, let's see, how will I go about this…" Croire began to plot how to arrange the upcoming events, so they could fit her amusement.

While Croire was off setting things up, Suzaku for the last two years had matured into a strong young man. For that time, he had been traveling Gamindustri, helping people fix what had been destroyed by the wars that were waged. Upon seeing his good-hearted nature and his compassion towards others, people always warmed up to him. Wherever he went, he would always leave having helped out whoever he could.

To Suzaku helping out others and being a good Samaritan was the just thing to do in life, since the dark times of war had passed thanks to Rei. It also gave him some type of fulfillment, making him feel that he was making a difference. Thanks to his naïve and positive nature, he always managed to make friends wherever he went. He felt alive again, being able to live without the constant danger of your life ending every minute you're not careful.

And yet, despite all the good that had happened, he felt like something was off. At the beginning of his travels he would hear people expressing their gratitude towards their CPU for ending the age of nightmares that had befallen Gamindustri, but now most of the stories he was hearing about Rei were how unreasonable she was, or how she was unfit to be a ruler. Some even had a few tales of things she had made people do.

Suzaku at first had ignored such rumors, figuring that they were spread by those who wanted to spread chaos among the nation, but at some point he started to think about them more carefully. He couldn't believe that Rei could really be so tyrannical towards her people, she had always done what was for the greater good when he was along with her, so Suzaku was prejudiced against the rumors.

The people, of course, didn't knew that he had a connection to the CPU, he didn't let anyone know on purpose. The line was drawn, however, when one day he had stayed for the night at an inn and was enjoying a late night drink along with the other customers.

"I'm telling you, that CPU woman is a monster! She has thrown people who questioned her decisions into jail, just because they spoke up against her." Said one man.

"Yeah, I've heard rumors that unless people praise her when she is in their presence, they are thoroughly beaten down. I've heard stories that some were even killed for showing 'disrespect'." Said another man.

"I'm telling ya, if things continue as they are, everyone will rebel against her." Added a third one.

Suzaku, having stayed at the side of the bar, couldn't help but overhear what they were talking about. He couldn't take such awful stories to be told about the person closest to him, the person who made him what he is now. His patience having reached its limit, he stood up from his seat and walked over to the men who were discussing things about Rei.

"Damn CPU, thinks she can have everything in the world just because she is strong… Huh?" Mumbled one of the men, as he then felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see who was interrupting him.

The man was now staring directly at Suzaku, whose gaze wasn't very welcoming, as his facial features had formed a scowl and he was glaring at the man.

"Something I can help you with? Whoa…!" Said the man, only for Suzaku to grab him by the front of the shirt and lift him up.

"You should be ashamed to speak like that about Lady Cyan Heart! She has made this world peaceful." Growled Suzaku, not referring to Rei by name to keep the fact that he knew her personally.

"Ah, you are one of those that are too deluded to see what's happening around them… Look around yourself for a change, lad. You might just see how bad things are in this nation." Said the man, not being intimidated by Suzaku in the slightest, which was a great mistake.

Unable to take more of his prattling, Suzaku decked the man so hard in the face that he sent him rolling over to the wall. This, of course, prompted the man's companions to stand up and attack Suzaku. The brown haired young man swiftly dodged their strikes and delivered a spinning kick, which knocked the men out cold.

Everyone in the inn was looking at what had happened with their jaws hanging. Suzaku payed his bill and put on his jacket.

"Sorry for the trouble." He apologized to the inn keeper, who was too awe struck by the feat Suzaku had performed to form a reply.

With that Suzaku left, biting his lower lip. All of the trash talking he had been hearing about Rei was really starting to get to him and he figured that there was one sure way to settle all of this. He would have to hear things straight from the horse's mouth. He headed straight to the Basilicom with the intent to put all these rumors to rest.

"Heh." Lelouch chuckled at how foolish Suzaku had acted.

"What's so funny?" Asked Suzaku, somewhat ticked off.

"Did I… say anything funny?" Rei wondered if she had made some type of error.

"Nah, if you had, all of us would've been laughing, not just Lulu here chuckling sinisterly to himself." Said Neptune, somewhat creeped out.

"Heeey… Lulu, tell us what's funny so everyone can laugh…" said Plutia, who stopped whatever it was she was doing and looked up at Lelouch.

"It's nothing, really." Lelouch replied, clearing his throat. "I apologize, please continue."

"Well, after that, Suzaku came up to me to discuss the issue…" Said Rei.

Suzaku had arrived in the Basilicom with the intent to clear up the matter of Rei's leadership. When he entered, he was greeted by Rei along with Croire.

"Oh, Suzaku, you're back!" Rei cheerfully greeted him.

"Great, the annoying patrol is here." Mumbled Croire.

"Hi Rei. Croire." He smiled at the CPU and grumbled towards the tome.

Suzaku and Croire were always at odds with each other. In Croire's words, her disdain towards Suzaku was because he was a 'generic good guy' character and was annoying to listen to. Suzaku had tolerated her remarks toward him, but at one point he started to ignore or outright belittle Croire.

Rei, however, had something else on her mind. Suzaku had called her by her name only, without any honorifics attached to it. It was strange for her to hear Suzaku call her by name, but it actually felt nice.

"You won't call me Rei-nee like you used to?" Rei asked him, somewhat confused.

"Ah, well, it'd be embarrassing for me to call you that. I'm 21 now, you know?" Suzaku blushed and avoided making eye contact with Rei, as he scratched his head nervously.

True to his statement, Rei took a look at him and noticed that he had grown up into a strong handsome young man. He was standing a head taller than her now and she couldn't help but notice his attractive body. She blushed a little realizing that she was checking him out and cleared her throat.

"Ah, yes, you're right, that would be silly." She said in an effort to hide her embarrassment. "It's been such a long time since you last visited. Come on, let's get you seated." Rei said and headed towards the living room of the Basilicom.

"Sure." Suzaku replied, following after her.

They entered it and sat next to each other on one of the fancy sofas.

"Would you like something to drink? You should be tired from your journey, no?" Rei asked him.

"I think I'll have a glass of water." Replied Suzaku.

And just like that with a snap of her fingers and her eyes lighting up with her Geass, Rei created a clone of Suzaku, who went over to the kitchen to get the beverage. After a few seconds it returned and handed the glass to the original, with Suzaku being kind of surprised to get his water delivered by himself. After that Rei dismissed the clone and it faded from existence.

"So, how have you been? What were you up to on your travels?" Asked him Rei, wanting to catch up with his adventures.

Suzaku took a few gulps of water and placed the half-empty glass on a small table, which was on the side of the sofa. His face showed that something was bothering him, a fact which did not go unnoticed by Rei, as she wondered what was wrong.

"Rei, I want you to be honest with me." Suzaku said in a serious but solemn tone.

"Yes, of course, what is it?" Replied Rei, unable to understand what was going on, as she started to get concerned for Suzaku.

"You know, while I was on my travels to help out the people in need, I always heard them saying how you ended the nightmare that everyone lived in." Suzaku said with a smile.

"Well, that's what you and I wanted, wasn't it? For this world to become peaceful." Rei replied happily.

Then Suzaku entangled his fingers and looked down at the ground, his worried look returning to his face. "Yeah, but for the past couple of months all I ever heard was people slandering you, speaking about you like you are some type of dictator." Suzaku's clenched his fists, as he then lifted up his head to look at Rei. "They're wrong, right? I mean, had it not been for you, I don't think I would be where I am right now. I know you are a great person, so why don't they see you the same way that I do?"

Upon hearing him, a part of Rei's inner peace shattered. The mongrels living on the streets were putting Suzaku against her? He was the only person in the world who meant something to Rei, whether he knew it or not, and now she was supposed to stand here and let the idiotic masses push Suzaku away from her?

Forcing a cheerful smile to her face and adjusting her glasses, Rei spoke. "Don't worry, Suzaku. I am sure that everyone will come around." Rei then stood up from the couch and headed out of the room. "In fact, I'm going to leave and resolve this misunderstanding, as a proper ruler should." As she said that, Rei frowned and ground her teeth in irritation, with her back to Suzaku, who was unable to notice her change in demeanor.

"I'm really glad that you are giving it your all for this to work out." Suzaku smiled at her, as he watched her turn around as she was about to leave and returned the smile with one of her own.

"Don't worry, I'll fix everything and after that you and I can continue where we left off." The CPU said, as she waved him goodbye and left, leaving Suzaku alone in the room.

With Rei gone, Suzaku stretched his arms above his head and stood up from the couch.

"Well, guess I'll go for a trek in the nearby forest. A little time among nature might brighten my mood." He said to no one in particular and headed off to his destination.

What Suzaku didn't know was that Rei was currently going through all the files she had on her desk. Her goal was simple, gather the location of every rebellious scum and wipe them from existence. Soon enough, her mood worsened with Croire's untimely arrival.

"Sup. Hey, whatcha doin?" Croire greeted the CPU and noticed her rapidly going through the huge pile of paper.

"I'm going to crush the impeccable insects that have the audacity to stand against ME, a being far beyond their comprehension!" Rei growled, as she continued with her work.

"Oh, so you're finally going to do something about the humans that stand against you? Well, count me in!" Croire giggled at the prospect of what was going to happen.

Rei finished with her work and stood up from her seat. She stormed off to round all of the rebels and grind them into dust. Unknown to her, Croire had removed the Share limiter on her power, so she wouldn't feel any decrease in strength when she started doing what Croire was anticipating.

While all of this was happening, Suzaku was having a calm jogging session through a nearby forest. He was enjoying the serenity of the place, as he stopped a few times to take a break under the shade of a tree. At the moment, Suzaku was slowly trekking through the terrain. To his surprise he hadn't encountered any monsters since he started out, which made him curious.

While he was trekking, a small glint of light entered his peripheral vision and prompted him to turn around to see the source. Curiosity getting the better of him, Suzaku made his way towards the small light, until he now stood before a glowing crystal, much like the one Rei had found back when she became a CPU, though this one was shining with a bright white light, unlike the dark one Rei's had.

"Well, I'll be…" Suzaku wondered at his discovery, as knelt down towards the Sharicite.

He inspected it like a small child getting a new toy, marveling at it. He even went as far as pick it up in his hand.

"It would be dangerous to just leave this lying here like that. Who knows what could happen if it fell in the wrong hands." Suzaku thought to himself, as he was about to pack the Sharicite and return it to the Basilicom, when an idea popped in his head. "Still…"

He eyed the Sharicite curiously. He thought about the possibility of being a CPU along with Rei. Together they would ensure that the world remained free of the violence that plagued it for so long. Of course, the thought of changing in appearance also came to Suzaku, which only made him more curious.

"Well, as they say, first come, first served… Now, how do I activate this thing? I sure hope I won't have to eat it… Huh?" Just as Suzaku was contemplating that out loud, the Sharicite began to glow brighter, until the light from it engulfed the general vicinity.

When the light cleared, Suzaku was now a tall young man with messy spiky silver hair, dressed in white and gold armor, his eyes were green with the inverted Geass in them. Suzaku was at awe from his new appearance, flexing his arms a couple of times and stretching his limbs.

"Whoa, this feeling is unreal." Said Chrome Heart, after finishing with the evaluation of his body, a confident smile crossing his face. "Alright then, time for a practice run."

Then wings and armor appeared around Suzaku, as he levitated off the ground and dashed off at amazing speeds. He was soaring through the trees, evading any that were in his path, surprised at how good his reflexes had become.

"This is awesome!" Exclaimed Suzaku.

Fortunately, while he was zooming past the forest, he spotted a herd of Fenrirs to be rampaging through the forest as if they were running away from something. He descended to the ground, alerting the giant wolves of his presence.

"Well, ain't this my lucky day." Suzaku gloated, as he entered a fighting stance.

The wolves growled and charged at him. The first one attempted to pounce him, but Suzaku sidestepped it and delivered a skull crushing roundhouse kick to its face, sending the wolf flying and dissolving into pixels. The other five surrounded him and were about to strike him, only for the male CPU to jump in the air.

"Too easy." He smirked, as he then spun in the air and used the momentum to deliver a spinning kick to every of the creatures, after which he landed on the ground.

The wolves had disappeared and Suzaku was about to leave the area, when he heard a howl and very loud growling after it. He turned to the direction of the sound, noticing what appeared to be the alpha Fenrir. Its status was given away by the fact that it was almost twice the size of the other wolves. That and its pissed off attitude.

"Alright, big bad. Come and get it." Chrome Heart taunted the creature, as his twin swords appeared in his hands.

The huge wolf pounced at him, but it was too slow to catch Suzaku, who at the moment was vanishing and appearing all over the place, courtesy to his insane speed. The Fenrir tried to attack him a few more times, but missed with each strike. After another attempted slash, the creature noticed that Suzaku wasn't anywhere to be seen. Confused, the creature then felt a surge of pain from its back. Suzaku had ran his swords through the creature's back, while descending from the air. The damage proved to be sufficient, as the large wolf vanished.

"Whew, that's that, I guess." Suzaku said, as he stretched some more and then transformed back to his normal self.

"Alright! Wait till Rei sees this!" Suzaku said happily, as he headed back towards the Basilicom.

Little did he know to what horrors he would be returning. Rei had destroyed a good portion of the rebels who rallied against her, but in her rage, she had killed all the innocent people as well. The scene unfolding was like the end of the world. People were running for their lives, screaming for help, while everything around them either exploded, was shattered to pieces or engulfed in flames.

And yet, Rei was laughing like a madman. With each strike she did, more and more people died. The dark CPU stood in mid-air, surrounded by all the destruction and screams of horror.

"This is what you brought on yourselves, you ungrateful maggots!" Rei laughed maniacally, as she hurled yet another blast of dark energy at the people, adding to the chaos.

Croire was standing some distance away from her, acting like she was in a cinema and was watching a very interesting movie. She had even brought popcorn, as she munched on it, enjoying the scenery before her.

"Now this is what I'm talking about. Boom! Bam! Explosion! Hahaha!" Croire was laughing her ass off at all the chaos before her.

Meanwhile, Suzaku had just arrived at the outskirts of the city and was treated to the devastated landscape. He was shocked to his core, unable to comprehend what was it that brought upon such disaster. Around him everything was either destroyed or there was some rubble left of it. To add to the grotesque scenery, corpses lay everywhere. Suzaku felt like he would vomit and held his hand over his hand. His horrified expression said it all. He was then shaken out of his trance by an explosion in another area of the city. So many things were on his mind at that moment, but Suzaku managed to find it in himself to run towards the source of all the chaos.

Rei laughed, as she took in the horrified screams of the people. All of them were running scared, praying for their lives and cursing the monstrosity that they believed Rei was. And then, the whole world seemed to come to a halt, as the dark goddess heard her name pronounced by a familiar voice.

"Rei!"

She turned in the direction of the voice and found Suzaku standing beneath her down on the ground. His expression was that of distraught, as his whole body shivered, not wanting to accept what he was seeing. Rei, who he always knew as a kind, clumsy and insecure woman, was now the progenitor of all the madness around him. He couldn't believe it. How? Why? Those questions were flooding his mind along with the despair from finding out that Rei was the madman who caused so much death.

"Oh, Suzaku." Rei said, as she descended to the ground next to him, surprised at his presence.

"Oh, this oughta be good." Croire chuckled to herself.

"What have you done, Rei?! Why do all of this?!" He shouted at her, terrified from everything around him.

Rei was taken aback. Suzaku had never raised his voice to her, never. He was always cheerful and smiling, but now he was angry with her. The goddess couldn't understand why he was angry.

"What do you mean? I just took care of the rebel problem. Defectors are traitors and traitors shouldn't be allowed to live." Cyan Heart answered him, confused as to why he was angry, blinking a few times.

Hearing her say that like it was something obvious angered Suzaku. He clenched his fists, as he never expected to deal with something like this.

"Killing people isn't the answer, Rei! How could you do something like this?!" Suzaku replied, shocked by Rei's statement.

Rei still couldn't understand. What was it that she was doing wrong? In her eyes she was just handling a problem in the most efficient way, she wasn't doing anything bad. It was the masses' fault for things turning out this way, not hers.

"I did everything for them. Gave them safety and a peaceful life and how did they repay me, by slandering my name and conspiring against me. I believe that there is no saving such people, as much as one would like to." Rei replied fanning her arms out.

"What?!" Suzaku was shocked to hear her say something like that.

"Suzaku, can't you see that I'm doing what's best for this world, what's best for us?" Asked Rei hoping that Suzaku would concede to her point.

"No, this isn't right! Please stop this madness. Too many people have died already." Suzaku continued to argue his case, praying that Rei would listen to reason.

Now it was Rei who started to get riled up, as she clenched her fists and looked at the ground, her facial features locking into a frown.

"How can you say that, when you know that everything I've done is for the greater good." Rei replied through gritted teeth, as she clenched her fists even further.

"Rei, look around you. Who does this wanton chaos and destruction benefit? How can you say that you are doing the right thing, when this scenery lies before you?" Said Suzaku, gesturing to destroyed city. "Please, just stop this."

Rei couldn't take anymore. Why was Suzaku against her? What had she done so bad that he didn't see as good? Sadly, Rei did not figure out that her power was driving her to all this madness. If only she had known, she could've tried to suppress it or would've discarded the power entirely. Alas, that was not meant to be, and with her clouded judgement, Rei had enough of Suzaku. She felt devastated, her trust betrayed. Betrayed by the only person she ever trusted.

"You know, I always thought that if there was anyone in this world who understood me, it was you, but I guess I was wrong." Rei started to shiver with anger, as tears flowed from her eyes. "You don't care about me, you're just like everyone else!" She yelled at him.

Suzaku was at a total loss from what Rei had just said to him. His eyes widened from the shock, as he stared at Rei, who was glaring at him. No, this wasn't what he wanted to happen, he just wanted to change her mind.

"No, you're wrong, Rei. I…" Suzaku was cut off before he could continue.

"I hate you!" Rei yelled, as she hurled a dark energy blast at him.

The words stabbed into Suzaku like a javelin, as he dodged the attack. He was confused and saddened, as he watched Rei prepare to unleash another attack, her Staff summoned in her hand. The brown haired young man had never wanted for this to happen, he just wanted things to end peacefully. Still, he learned something that day. He learned that for one's principles in life to be kept intact, he would have to let go of something else or vice versa. That day, his stubbornness cost him the only person who cared about him.

"Rei, please! I don't want to fight you!" Suzaku begged, hoping that he could get her to stop and calm down. While that was happening, Croire was very pleased with the current turn of events, as she was giggling at the misfortune that the brown haired boy had caused himself.

"Disappear, traitor! Dark Vortex!" Cyan Heart yelled at him, casting the dark spell, sending a torrent of dark energy towards Suzaku.

Suzaku watched as the attack sailed towards him. He clenched his fists, knowing that there was no turning back now. "I'm really sorry, Rei, but you have to be stopped." He said, just as the attack engulfed him.

"Whooo, BAM!" Croire was full of excitement, watching the blast explode around Suzaku. She hadn't had this much fun in ages.

And then, before the dust from the attack could settle, a bright flash of light appeared where the blast had hit, which confused Rei. Croire, on the other hand, dropped her popcorn from sheer surprise.

From the settling dust stepped out Suzaku in his HDD. Rei was visibly taken aback upon seeing the tall man in white and gold armor, while Croire's jaw dropped.

"He's a CPU?! But how?!" The tome was at a loss, not having expected anything remotely close to this. "Shit, he even has Geass." Croire noticed his eyes, but then a curious smile settled on her face. Perhaps things would be more interesting this way.

"You are a CPU?!" Rei was clearly shocked, as she unconsciously took a step back, but then she realized what Suzaku's transformation meant. "You kept it hidden from me, didn't you! She yelled at him.

"I have done no such thing." Suzaku said, defending his case. "I acquired this power a few hours ago. I never thought that I would have to use it against you first thing."

Rei started to chuckle madly. "I see. I understand." She escalated into full-blown laughter. "I will just have to erase you along with the other filth that infest this land." She said, as a maniacal grin settled on her face and slammed her staff on the ground, summoning a magic circle which let out lightning towards Suzaku.

Suzaku, surprised that Rei would attack out of the blue like that, got hit with the full charge of the attack and stammered back a few feet. "Rei, please." He begged, as he shrugged off the pain. "Stop this, it isn't too late to go back."

Rei frowned at him, her face twisted with anger. "NO! I'm done with being kind!" She yelled at him. "What did I get for it? Nothing but deceit, insults and rebellion!" She then flailed her arms to the side, gesturing at all the people running in fear. "I am done with these maggots! The world will be better off without them!" She yelled, as clones of her appeared and all of them charged their staffs. "I'm also done with you!"

Understanding that things were beyond the turning point, Suzaku resolved himself to the fate he had chosen, as he tensed himself and clenched his fist in irritation that it had to be that way.

"I'm sorry, Rei, but I cannot allow you to go on any further." Chrome Heart said, as he summoned his twin swords and entered into a fighting stance, his Geass starting to glow.

The battle between the two CPUs was set. A battle that would decide the course of history, orchestrated by none other than the mischievous tome, which was giggling from anticipation.

"That battle was what went down in legend as the Great Crash." Rei explained, as she took a pause before continuing. "Suzaku and I fought relentlessly. I don't even remember how long it lasted, but eventually it came to an end."

The fight between the CPUs was at its end. The landscape was utterly demolished, as everything surrounding the two opponents was now a huge wasteland. It was just the two of them and Croire observing the event.

Both Rei and Suzaku were on their last legs, as both were greatly wounded and tired. Their armors were mostly destroyed, as all that remained were parts of the body suits. Blood was pouring out of their many wounds, as there was also some on the weapons, which had clearly made contact with skin. They panted, as both were leaned on their weapons, which were stabbed into the ground to provide support.

"This…" Suzaku started to say, as he panted and started to straighten up. "is over." He declared, as he picked up one of his swords and started to walk sluggishly towards Rei.

Rei panicked upon seeing the male CPU stand up once more and desperately pushed her body to get up. "No…! I… will not… lose to you!" Cyan Heart yelled out, as she panted while sluggishly rising on her feet.

She didn't have the strength to hold her staff anymore, as she let go of it and tried to focus, so she could activate her Geass and create clones of herself, knowing that if she managed to do so, Suzaku at this point would not have the necessary energy to negate them. Sadly, the moment she tried to do so, pain coursed through her eyes, as she fell to the ground on her knees and clenched them with her arms. She had absolutely no power left in her.

Suzaku saw this and continued his slow advance, as he got in front of Rei and was looming over her, blade in hand.

Rei let go of one of her eyes, as the pain had stopped and lifted her head to see Suzaku standing before her, covered in blood, like a white reaper. She understood that this was the end, there was nothing left that she could do.

"This is it." Said Cyan Heart.

"Yeah." Replied Chrome Heart.

Rei's eyes started to tear up, as she looked up at Suzaku, whose face was tired, saddened, but resolved. "Come on then, finish it. Complete your betrayal!" She declared with what little energy she had left.

"It wasn't me who betrayed you, Rei." He said, as he grasped his sword with both hands. "You betrayed yourself."

Rei stared up in shock from his statement and then passed out on the ground, her wounds and fatigue catching up with her, as she transformed back into her human form.

Suzaku tightened his grip on the blade, as he raised it above his head, looking at Rei's passed out frame. "This is the end." He said, as he brought down the blade, to which Croire squealed with joy that she would get such an interesting ending.

In the next instant, however, Suzaku saw that his hands had stopped mid-way and the sword was hanging over Rei's head. His arms shook, as tears started to fall from his eyes, until he started to cry and let the sword fall to the side, he himself dropping on his knees. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill the person that mattered to him the most, even if they had done unforgivable things.

However, Suzaku was taken out of his grief by the highly annoyed voice of Croire. "What the hell is this?!" She asked, as she descended towards him, as he turned around, surprised to see her. "C'mon, finish it!" The tome demanded impatiently.

Hearing her made Suzaku's blood boil. "It's your damn fault, isn't it?!" He yelled out, as he grabbed his sword and attempted to slash at Croire, though she easily dodged by leaning to the side, resulting in him falling to the ground, his own fatigue starting to bear down on him.

"Hey, don't go putting blame on me for what she did." Shrugged Croire. "I haven't even told her to do a thing, plus, it wasn't me that was blowing up the place."

Suzaku tried, but was unable to get up, as his consciousness slipped from him and transformed back to human form, laying on the ground.

"*Sigh* Man, what am I gonna do with these two?" Wondered Croire, as to seeing that she had to wait for them to come to, for things to continue. "Well, guess I'll just take a look at the results from their destruction." Croire mumbled to herself, as she flew off to somewhere.

After a while, Rei managed to recover consciousness and found herself lying in the huge crater that had resulted from their battle. Night time had fallen and the stars could be seen clearly in the sky. Rei started to get up and in the process of doing so groaned in pain from her wounds.

"You shouldn't be moving around in your condition." Came Suzaku's voice.

Rei turned her head to see him sitting off to the side, his arms rested on his legs, gazing at nothing in particular. "Okay." She replied sheepishly and stopped attempting to move.

There was a long awkward silence between them, until Rei decided to speak up. "Why didn't you kill me?" She asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Shut up." Suzaku spoke angrily, though his body was still shaking. "Just shut up and don't speak."

Rei was taken aback by his words. He had never spoken in such a manner to her. "Suzaku, I…" She sat up, wanting to apologize, but was cut off.

"I told you to shut up!" Suzaku yelled at her, as he stood up, anger being the only emotion present on his face. "Look!" He spread out his arms, gesturing to the destroyed landscape around them. "Destroyed, everything is destroyed! Everything that we worked so hard to build is gone!" He stopped to take a breath and calm down, while Rei was on the verge of breaking down.

Her whole body shivered, as she tried her best to keep herself from falling apart. "I…" She tried to muster up the courage to speak, but was unable to, as some of her tears began to flow from her eyes.

"The damage has been done, there's no turning back." Suzaku said, as he turned around and began to walk away. "I'll try to fix what I can, but that won't be enough. I want you to disappear from the public's eye and to not bother me." Rei began to cry, since she couldn't hold it in anymore. "It's over, Rei." Suzaku said, as he continued to walk away.

Through her tears, Rei's eyesight got even more blurry and she couldn't make out Suzaku's image, only a silhouette. "Wait…" She managed to say through her tears, as she reached her hand in his direction, but Suzaku didn't stop. "I'm sorry…" Rei managed to say, as she continued crying.

Hearing her made Suzaku stop. He clenched his fists and bit his lip, as he made the hardest decision in his life. Tears fell from his eyes, as he left Rei without a word, leaving her all alone in the midst of the destruction she had caused.

No longer making out his silhouette, Rei curled into a ball and cried away her despair. She had lost control and it had cost her everything. She was alone once more.

It wasn't a long while, when Croire popped from out of nowhere. "Oh, you're up." She said to Rei. "You know, it's actually pretty amazing to see a clash between Geass wielding CPUs."

"Go away." Cried Rei. "Leave me alone."

"Great, she's going to mope around now." Croire sighed in frustration.

"It's gone… everything…" Rei continued to cry.

"Oh, yeah. It's all gone. A total wasteland." Croire said, not caring in the slightest about how Rei was feeling.

"Power… Nation… People… Even Suzaku…" Rei cried. "Everything is…"

Croire raised an eyebrow at the pitiful state the dark CPU was in. "What, you're regretting it now? You did this 'cuz you wanted to, right?"

"It's all gone… If… If only I hadn't…" Rei's crying began to die down, as she muttered to herself.

"Well, maybe this was a selection mistake. I dunno who's in charge of picking you people, though." Croire shrugged. "Still, you didn't do anything out of line, considering you're a dark CPU." She said, after which she noticed something. "Huh? Is your personality back to how it was before we met?"

"It's all because of me. I shouldn't have become a goddess. It wasn't necessary for anything." Rei continued to mourn over her mistakes. "CPUs shouldn't exist…"

Rei took a deep breath, finishing her story. "Anyway, I lost my powers and my nation collapsed soon after." She said and noticed how all the girls were looking at her with worried frowns, while Lelouch's gaze was full of curiosity and what seemed to be a small hint of sympathy.

"I tried to keep things together, but no one was willing to trust me, since I was a CPU." Suzaku said. "Everything became far worse than before and chaos resumed, much as I tried to prevent it."

"Because of me…" Rei sulked.

"Over time, some people began to believe that CPUs weren't all that bad, since I tried everything I could, to make things up, but it wasn't enough. The larger part of the world was still against CPUs." Suzaku explained.

"The Great Crash, right? My old documents mentioned a huge recession in Gamindustri." Blanc confirmed the event that was described.

"For the longest time after that, I lost a lot of my CPU powers…" Rei continued. "I could neither die nor age… I just sat and thought about what I did wrong. So, um…" Rei let out a sigh before continuing. "I know it's just me shifting the blame, but I felt that the idea of CPUs in general was wrong." She looked down in shame. "That's why I enlisted the help of the Seven Sages. Suzaku let us be, because we weren't doing harm to anyone."

Vert gazed sadly at Rei. "Shifting the blame, indeed."

"I agree. You were just incompetent." Noire stated with a cross expression.

"You made a group like the Seven Sages because of your prejudices and then ended up working with evil people." Blanc frowned at Rei.

"Yes… It's just as you say…" Rei replied.

"Hmm… I'd actually beg to differ." Lelouch said, having thought about everything he had heard, gaining confused and curious gazes from everyone, wanting him to elaborate. "The idea of gods reigning over humans is indeed flawed, since we ourselves are human and are prone to making mistakes, very big mistakes sometimes."

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Neptune frantically waved her arms around, gaining everyone's attention. "No more serious talk and I seriously don't need one of Lulu's highly complicated theories. I'm gonna die here from all this drama!" She exclaimed, demanding a change in the mood and found herself receiving a glare from Lelouch and nervous gazes from everyone else.

"Um…" Histoire decided to break the tension. "Anyway, we now understand the gist of things."

"Yes, though, there is one thing I don't understand." Lelouch said and turned his attention to Rei. "According to your story, you lost your CPU powers or so I understand. How is it then that you had it back?"

"Oh, um, I was about to explain…!" Rei was about to say, until her memory jolted to work and got reminded of the terrible situation at hand. "Ahh! That's right! We can't relax like this!" She panicked, causing everyone to get confused. "Nothing's been resolved!"

"Yeesh, why the sudden crazy talk?" Neptune exclaimed, startled.

"Rei, what do you mean?" Suzaku asked.

"Please calm down and explain it to us…" Nepgear attempted to get the conversation underway, but failed miserably.

"I can't calm down and I don't have time to explain! Ooh, what should I do?! What should I do?!" Rei continued to panic.

Plutia giggled at the older woman. "You're really funny when you get nervous." She said and returned to finishing her work.

Lelouch shot Suzaku a gaze, the two reaching a telepathic understanding, as Suzaku went over to Rei and chopped her on the head to get her to slow down.

"Yeouch! M-my head… Owww…" Rei clasped her head with her hands, as tears appeared on her face from the unexpected chop.

"Good, now that you're calm…" Suzaku began to say, until Plutia got in his face with the sewing equipment.

"Suzu, don't be mean…" She said with a cheerful expression, but her threatening tone, coupled with the fact that she had needles in hand, made her look terrifying, making Suzaku shudder from the thought of being stabbed with the needles, as he nodded in acceptance. "Gooood… Now, let's hear what Rei has to say…"

"What could possibly be such a major emergency?" Histoire asked.

"Um, to explain that, I'll need to go over things step by step…" Rei replied.

"You have three lines." Neptune gave her conditions.

"Eeh?! How long is three lines?! That's nowhere near enough!" Rei complained.

"Don't mind her." Noire said, as she pulled Neptune's ear, starting to get annoyed by the purple haired girl's antics. "It doesn't matter if it's long, just explain it properly."

"O-Okay. So you already know about the other dimension that's similar to ours, right?" Rei began her explanation.

"The one we are from?" Nepgear asked.

"R-Right. Theoretically, there are an infinite number of dimensions, so it may be a coincidence, but… In your dimension, um, there's another me…" Rei said.

"There sure is! She was handing out pamphlets asking for proper regulations and other stuff." Neptune said.

"Regulations that you should've taken care of, as the CPU of the nation." Lelouch grumbled, knowing that there was no changing Neptune's slacker habits.

"Before me and Lelouch came over, I think that things had gotten a bit worse…" Nepgear said.

"Honestly, it wouldn't be wrong to say that is my fault, as well…" Rei sighed, knowing just how much trouble she had caused. "Of course, I had no ill will, so you could call it bad luck or some kind of accident…"

"No need for the preface." Blanc grumbled, starting to get pretty irritated with Rei.

"S-Sorry! Anyway, in the other dimension, I was a regular human. But, because she is me, as it were, she's hesitant and timid and could not achieve anything… But she still did her best to change society! Even with no power, she gave it her all…" Rei explained her reasoning behind her actions. "When I learned she existed, I asked for my last remaining power to be transferred to her."

And with that, the last piece of the puzzle fell in place and Lelouch could clearly see the whole picture. "In other words, you are the reason why we got sent here and the situation in our dimension is getting worse." He pointed out with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Man, I've had to go through a bunch of trouble because of you!" Neptune complained.

"S-Sorry! I know it's too late, but still… I'm sorry!" Rei apologized.

"Um, ooookaaay…! Thank you for the story, Rei…!" Plutia said happily, after which she finally finished what she was doing. "Whew, finally done…" She giggled. "I'm going to add these to my collection."

Rei and Suzaku were confused to see two plushies in Plutia's hands that looked like them respectfully. Before either could ask about them, Lelouch spoke up.

"It's a sign that she considers you friends, don't worry about it." He said, seeing Rei and Suzaku having dumb looks of understanding actually made him feel nice that he wasn't the only one who had to go through the plushie experience.

"Plutia, were you even listening to her story?" Noire complained.

"Ummmm, yeah… Thanks to Rei, I was able to meet everyone here, riiight…?" Plutia replied happily.

"That's one way to look at it." Noted Blanc.

"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna stop grumbling about getting sent here or there." Neptune added cheerfully.

"Th-Thank you very much!" Rei was happy that they weren't mad at her.

Lelouch's left eye twitched from the constant back and forth between serious and casual that the conversation went through. "Let us return to your story." He coughed loudly to get everyone's attention. "I have some questions. First, how did you come to know about your existence in another dimension?"

"Ah, well, that's… My power can allow me to distort, or pierce, other dimensions..." Rei explained, after which Lelouch fell silent.

The new information he was granted made his mind go into high alert. _If she can distort dimensions with just her quantity of power_ … Lelouch's face went pale for a second. _Then, there is no telling what I could do, if he learned such control._ Lelouch started to fear just how much destruction he was truly capable of. He was taken out of his thoughts by the resuming panic of Rei, who had remembered something else.

"Oh, I messed up! I didn't tell you about Croire!" Rei panicked, while Suzaku's face turned serious at the mention of the tome's name.

"Croire…?" Plutia was puzzled.

"Croire is, putting it in normal terms, Rei's oracle. Just like Histoire is Plutia's oracle." Suzaku explained.

"Hmm, I feel like I've heard that name before…" Histoire was deep in thought.

"Anyway, she's been with me ever since I became a CPU…" Rei was about to continue, until a familiar voice spoke.

"Oh, did I interrupt you talking smack about me?" The mischievous tome popped in the room. "Yo. Nice to meet you all and all that. Even though I already know a lot about you."

"Croire!" Suzaku quickly drew one of his swords and attempted to slash the tome, but she disappeared, only to reappear at another location in the room.

"Hello to you as well, Mr. boredom." Croire joked, but then found the barrel of a gun stuck to the back of her head.

"I doubt anyone would miss you, if I spilled the insides of your small head on the floor." Lelouch said with a threatening glare, as he held his revolver behind Croire's head.

Croire turned her head slightly to look at him. "Oh? You're alive? Cool." She said with her usual cocky smile, but then found herself wondering something. "Hmm… I got this feeling last time I saw you too, but I really think I've seen those cold and hateful eyes somewhere before." She wondered and then teleported elsewhere in the room to relieve herself from being at gunpoint.

"Ummmm… since she's a dark-looking Histy, can we call her Darksty…?" Plutia asked.

"No no. An evil Histy should be called something like Badsty!" Declared Neptune.

"Hey. Don't make up nicknames for people without the go-ahead. My name's Croire. Croire!" Croire got annoyed by the two girls.

"Croire… who exactly are you?" Histoire asked.

"Who knows? I imagine I'm something like you." The other tome shrugged. "You were made to record the history as spun by the CPUs or some other ground-sounding crap, right?"

"Y-Yes… You as well?" Histoire replied, not liking the way she said it.

"Meh. My existence has the condition of going around, messing up, and having fun with others' history." Croire replied cheerfully.

Histoire was shocked from hearing that. "What?! It is an inexcusable act for us to intervene directly in the advancement of history…"

"Us? Who do you think you're including in that statement?" Croire asked with a smug expression, as she noticed Histoire failing to sense her other counterparts throughout other dimensions. "Hahaha! Sucks for you that you can barely sense your other selves in the different dimensions!" She gloated.

"Do you have the same issue?" Histoire asked.

"Well, unlike you, I can't connect the dimensions themselves together. I can travel between em, though." Croire said casually.

"I see. My second question of who transferred Rei's power is now answered." Lelouch said, as he drew his blade. "Yours is a dangerous existence that should be dealt with." He pointed his sword at her.

"Oooh, how scary." Croire mocked him. "I ain't afraid of you, dark CPU dude."

"Wh-What did you come here for?" Rei asked Croire. "You're not going to give me any unnecessary power again, are you?" Rei gathered up as much courage as she could and firmly stood her ground. "I… I don't need it! This time, I am putting my foot down and refusing it!"

"Nah. We've known each other for a while now, so I wanted to give you a heads up…" Croire replied.

"Huh?" Rei was confused.

"The other you said she's gonna destroy this entire dimension. That would include you." Croire smiled cheerfully.

"What?! How is that even possible?!" Noire exclaimed, shocked.

Nepgear, however, thought back to the time when Lelouch fought the Deity of Sin. She could feel the destructive capabilities even from far away and she remembered Histoire saying that he almost destroyed the world once, so it wasn't far-fetched for another dark CPU to be capable of the same feats.

"Is she really going to destroy the entire dimension?" Nepgear's face paled from worry.

"You'll figure it out soon enough. It'll be startin any minute now." Croire said and just as she did, a huge earthquake hit.

"Gah!" Neptune exclaimed in fright.

"Whoooa…!" Plutia jumped in her arms from fear and the two looked like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.

"This is…!" Lelouch's fears came to be, as he went outside to see a huge hole in the sky, emitting lightning and distorting the very fabric of space.

Suzaku came up to him and saw the vortex for himself. The sight of the giant hole left him speechless, as he never imagined something like that possible. The girls caught up to them and were in the same boat.

"Wh-What is that?" Vert asked, completely taken aback.

"Is that a beam of dark light coming down from the sky?" Blanc was shocked.

"Sweet. It's even crazier than I expected!" Croire laughed.

"Th-This is my power? No way… It's gotten so out of hand that she can do this…?" Rei couldn't believe what she was seeing.

As Lelouch gazed at the familiar dark light, he could feel his own power pulsing in response to it. It felt as if some force was pushing him to destroy that light. He knew full well what it was, as he nervously gulped down. He worried that the extent of the power of the other Rei was reaching levels beyond what he was capable in his HDD, but he could feel the sick laughter echoing in his mind.

* * *

 **I'm a real jerk, aren't I? Another teaser for the moment where the confrontation between Lelouch and Croire reaches its climax. I wonder how many of you thought that Lelouch would go guns blazing on Croire the moment he saw her XD. Anyway, next chapter the gang will FINALLY go back to Hyper Dimension, making this frustratingly long arc closer to its end. Damn, I really hope I can make the final battles and resolution of this arc worth all the trouble. Everyone is free to comment how shitty things are if I don't, I'll take it gladly. On a side note, hope I managed to make Spinzaku and Rei's backstory close to that of Lelouch's in terms of tragedy, though I highly doubt it. Anyway, enough comments from me. Thank you for reading and for being patient with me, hope you have a great day :D!**


	50. Back at last

**Finally, I got around to writing this chapter! It's on the short end, when compared to previous ones, but its still better than nothing, I guess. I just don't have that much free time on my hands anymore, which is a bummer, cause I really want to continue writing. Oh well, life's like that. Anyway, I apologize for the long wait and thank you for your patience!**

Chapter 50: Back at last

"Welp," Croire crossed her hands behind her head. "That's how it is. I bet things are getting real interestin over there, too… Soo…" Light began to gather around Croire. "Laters. Good luck and all that!" The tome said, as she disappeared.

"W-Wait! I wish to ask you more questions…!" Histoire attempted to stop her, but sadly failed.

Plutia watched in bewilderment the spot where Croire had once stood. "Whoooa… She disappeared…!"

"Damn it, she's gone." Suzaku cursed.

"Are you kidding me?! That jerk plans to leave us in this situation?!" Noire yelled out, clearly panicked.

Neptune was running around, worrying. "We gotta figure out what to do about the sky and whatnot! How do we stop it?!" She yelled.

"If this continues, will this entire dimension really be destroyed…?" Nepgear asked, turning to Lelouch, expecting an answer from him.

"I'm afraid so." Lelouch replied, as sweat started to form on his face. "You can feel it, can't you? The sheer magnitude of amassed power…"

Neptune ran in front of Lelouch and started pulling on his coat violently. "Yeah, but how are we going to stop that from wrecking everything?!" She asked him.

"Uuuu… This is all my fault…" Rei sulked on the side.

Lelouch removed Neptune's hands from his coat and readjusted it, whilst thinking on what could possibly be their best course of action. Knowing that time was of the essence, his mind began working at top speeds to forge a plan.

"Forget thinking about it. We need to gather information and get our people to safety." Blanc said.

"Yes, that's it!" Lelouch declared, having finished his thought process, surprising everyone. "Everyone, listen and do exactly what I'm about to say." He ordered, gaining everyone's attention. "Our priority is the evacuation of the citizens of all nations. Noire, Blanc, Vert, the three of you will return to your nations and evacuate the civilians, after which you'll return here."

"Right." Vert and Blanc nodded.

"I don't need to be motivated by you!" Noire said, blushing. "I'm going to head out first!" She proclaimed and transformed into HDD along with Blanc and Vert, the three of them flying off at full speed.

"And they're off." Neptune commented. "So, what have you got planned for us, your excellency?" She joked, with which Lelouch wasn't pleased in the slightest.

Just as Lelouch was about to speak, IF, Compa and Peashy ran inside the room, crying and scared for dear life.

"Waaaah!" The three girls cried, as they all ran over to Neptune and bear hugged her, effectively knocking the purple haired girl of balance and on the floor.

"Almost forgot about them." Lelouch mumbled and then resumed his orders. "Neptune." He said, gaining the girl's attention, while she tried to calm down the three children. "You and Plutia will go and lead the citizens of Planeptune to safety."

"But we can't leave the tikes alone!" Neptune protested, holding the crying Compa in her arms, while the other two clung to her.

"I've got that covered. Nepgear." He called for his nanny of choice's name, gaining her attention. "The kids are yours."

"Wh-What?! M-Me?!" Nepgear stuttered, shocked that she was given the role of taking care of the children.

"Yes, you. This is a role that only you can fulfil right now, so I expect you to do your utmost like you always do." Lelouch explained to her, not having the time to think for an alternative option.

"O-Ok." Nepgear complied, blushing. "I won't let you down!" She replied energetically, as she went over to the girls to relieve Neptune of them, after which Neptune and Plutia, strangely enough, dashed off to work.

"What about the four of us?" Suzaku asked, referring to himself, Rei, Lelouch and Histoire.

Lelouch went over to the sulking Rei and placed his hand on her shoulder, gaining her attention. "Look, I really don't have time to sugar coat this, so I'm just going to give it to you straight." He said, Rei having stopped her panic and paying attention, not knowing what to expect. "You're a dunce." Lelouch said.

"Eh?" Suzaku was dumb founded, not having expected that in the slightest.

"I know…" Rei returned to sulking.

"But you're a dunce who can help resolve all of this." Lelouch added, gaining surprised looks from the other two CPUs. "I know how it feels to do things you didn't mean to and how much regret comes after, but none of that matters anymore." Lelouch said, Rei staring at him shocked. "If you want to make up for your past mistakes, you'll have to stop pitying yourself and toughen up."

It was a first time for Rei to be listening to a motivational speech and frankly, it made her feel a lot better somehow. She felt invigorated, as she managed to steel her nerves as much as she could. "Thank you." She said, her resolve to atone for all of the wrong she had done unshaking. "I'll do my best! Just tell me what it is that you need me to do."

Suzaku was visibly shocked, as he found it exceedingly hard to recall the last time Rei had such conviction burning within her. He found himself thinking if he had just been too stubborn and was unwilling to give her a chance, to which he chuckled lightheartedly, a small smile placing itself on his lips. He was also happy that he got to see another side of Lelouch, as a strange feeling started to well up inside him. For some reason, he felt a strange connection to the dark haired boy, as if fate had intended for them to meet.

"Good." Lelouch smiled and let go of her shoulder. "Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say." He said, gaining a vigorous nod from the other dark CPU. "I want you to go and gather as many of your Seven Sages associates as you can and gather them here when you're done."

"Understood." Rei replied and was about to run off, but then all her resolve evaporated, as she meekly turned to look at Suzaku, who caught her apologizing gaze.

Knowing that there wasn't a better moment than the present, he walked up to Rei and smiled at her. "Go." He said. "I believe in you."

His words brought Rei to tears, words that she'd had wanted to hear oh so bad for so long. She embraced Suzaku, who also wrapped his arms around her. "I promise I'll do good this time." Rei said through tears.

"I know." Suzaku said with an affectionate smile, as he gently placed on of his hands on Rei's head. "Because you're the Rei I know and love."

Rei blushed extremely upon hearing him, thinking that she couldn't be any happier. She wanted the moment to last longer, but she knew that there was work to be done, as they pulled away from each other. "I'm off." She said with a smile, lowering her glasses and brushing away her tears.

"Godspeed!"Suzaku smiled, as he watched Rei leave. He then turned to see Lelouch staring at him with a smug expression, his arms crossed. "What?" Suzaku asked, somewhat irritated by the smile on the other boy's face.

"Nothing." Lelouch said, his smile not dropping. "I was wondering when you'd stop with your foolish stubbornness."

"I really want to argue with you, but sadly I know you're right." Suzaku let out a sigh of defeat and then smiled at his friend. "Come on then. What do you need me to do?"

"You and I are going to go closer to the vortex, since we are probably the only ones who can currently get close to that magnitude of energy." Lelouch said, gaining a nod from Suzaku. "We are going to clear the debris and inspect the dimensional hole."

"Alright, let's roll." Suzaku said, as he and Lelouch switched to HDD.

While all of this was happening, Histoire was standing off to the side, joyful beyond belief to see everyone work together to save their world.

"Histoire." Dark Heart turned to the oracle before he left.

"Yes? Anything I can do to be of use, Lelouch?" The small tome asked.

"I want you to attempt to reach my Histoire." The dark CPU ordered. "Try as many times as it takes. It is crucial that we learn what's the situation over there, before we take any further action."

"I understand. I'll do my best." Histoire nodded, as she saw the two male CPUs off. The two of them flew off at dangerously high speeds and disappeared from sight. Histoire found herself envious of how the other Histoire had such a splendid CPU to work with. "If only Plutia became even half as responsible as Lelouch." She let out a sigh, but then got herself to her senses. "What am I talking about? I have work to do!" She said and proceeded with Lelouch's instructions.

After almost 12 hours, everyone except for Rei had returned back to the Planeptune Basilicom to discuss their next course of action. Suzaku and Lelouch flew in and transformed back into human form, seeing the others gathered and waiting for them.

"Seems everyone's here now." Noire noted.

"How did it go?" Histoire asked the two male CPUs. "Were you able to learn something?"

"We wish." Suzaku said, letting out a sigh. "That's just too much condensed energy in one place to be halted."

"We tried to intervene with the portal, but it didn't work." Lelouch added with a nod and a serious expression. "So, what's the situation for all of you?"

"I wish to say that things have calmed down somewhat. However…" Vert started to say, but her worried expression gave her away.

"The attacks are indiscriminate, coming at random times and striking at random places." Blanc explained. "We can't do much…"

"I see. I figured it would be like this." Lelouch said, sitting down along with the others.

"All the citizens were soooo scared…" Plutia said, saddened and tears could be visible in her eyes. "Neppy and I thought we could cheer them up with a comedy routine, but nobody laughed at aaaaany jokes…"

Everyone looked at Neptune and Plutia with pitying gazes. Vert decided that she would be the one to break the truth to the two girls. "Perhaps that is because you two are not as funny as you think you are." She said.

"No, the jokes were as solid as hard rock." Neptune immediately rose to defend herself. "Plutie just has a really slow tempo, so her timing is off."

"Sorrrry…" Plutia apologized, feeling useless. "I guess I'm not cut out for comedy, after all…"

"Um… That really isn't important right now…" Suzaku said, still not used to how the two purple haired girls could change the mood on a dime.

"In the end, it all comes down to us getting back home and somehow stopping the other Rei." Lelouch said, not being able to think of another solution to the problem, as he then turned to Histoire. "Histoire, were you able to reach our Histoire?"

"I have attempted to contact the other me several times, but I am unable to reach her…" The small oracle explained.

Unable to contain her disappointment, Neptune's mouth opened as per usual. "My Histy has way better processing power, but she kinda messes up at the most important plot points." She sighed. "I bet she's buried under a book shelf right now."

"That's not…!" Nepgear tried to defend their oracle, but then stopped and thought for a second. "Um, actually, it's very plausible."

"My Histy is kinda like that too…" Plutia said.

"Quiet, the three of you, or I will bury you under a bookshelf." Lelouch glared at them, not having the time to deal with their jokes, making the four girls shut their mouths.

The mini Histoire was about to retaliate to Plutia's comment about her, but then felt an incoming call. "Erm, yes?" She answered. "Hello?"

"I apologize for missing all of your calls!" The voice of Hyper Histoire could be heard, which surprisingly sounded very embarrassed. "It seems I was able to connect, at long last."

"Speak of the devil." Blanc stated.

"It's the big Histy! Long time no seeeee…" Plutia waved at her from the digital screen.

"You're really late, y'know! Geez. What were you doing at such an important time?" Neptune grumbled.

"Well, you see…" Histoire began, her cheeks flushing from embarrassment. "I suddenly got trapped under a falling bookshelf and dislodged myself just a moment ago."

A very awkward silence overtook the room, as Neptune turned to look at the dark haired boy, to see him with the most dejected face she had ever seen.

"H-Histoire…" Nepgear sighed, disappointed.

"Did you know that the logical chance of being trapped under a bookshelf is a 100 percent?" Lelouch mumbled to himself with a sulking expression, as if he was talking to someone.

Everyone gave him a worried gaze. "Right, let's leave him to chill out and return to normal." Neptune said, as she, Plutia and Nepgear backed away from the sulking aura that the boy was emitting.

"Enough about that." Noire returned the conversation to its course. "How're things over there? It's pretty awful over here, thanks to someone, who's currently missing." She said with a grumbly expression.

"Planeptune City is in ruins." Histoire said. "The CPUs are putting a plan in motion, but we cannot reach the city's center."

"What?!" Lelouch suddenly shot back to life, scaring everyone. "How bad is it?" He asked, his tone returning to normal.

"Worse than that time." Histoire said, her expression showing just how worried she was, which made Lelouch realize that everything has gone to hell already. "Please, Lelouch. You and the girls must come home at once."

Suzaku decided to interject. "Your request is good and all, but how are they going to go back?" He asked, not understanding how they would be able to cross dimensions.

Histoire let out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, there is no possible way for us to gather any Shares. Considering what you said earlier, I'm sure to assume that the same goes for you too." The oracle hung her head down, feeling defeated by the circumstances.

"We can still use my energy to open the portal." Lelouch said, realizing that they currently had only one option.

"What? Wait, how does that even work?" Neptune asked, surprised and confused.

"To explain it simply, CPUs gain their power from Share energy, no matter the source. With that said, it is a natural reverse reaction that a CPU's power can be converted back into Share energy, through us oracles." Histoire explained to Neptune, but then returned her attention to Lelouch and the mini Histoire. "Lelouch, are you sure that you'll be able to manage?"

Lelouch raised his hand and clenched his fist. "I'm positive that I can manage." He gave the oracle an assuring smile.

"Well then, please contact me back when you are ready." Histoire said and ended the call.

After the other Hisotire hung up, Plutia was the first to speak. "What're we gonna doooo, Neppy…?" She asked, bewildered and worried.

"Well," Neptune turned towards Lelouch. "We do what the boss man says." She shrugged.

Fitting himself neatly into the position of leader, Lelouch took things into his own hands. "Histoire," He called the small oracle. "We must hurry outside in the open and establish the portal asap!"

"R-right!" The oracle nodded stuttering from the sudden rush.

After everyone had made it outside of the Basilicom, Histoire and Lelouch prepared to proceed with the opening of the dimensional gate.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Suzaku asked, not really confident that the success rate was high.

"It's a delicate process," Lelouch said, glancing at Nepgear, who blushed from remembering how she had messed up the last time. "which requires utmost concentration of both oracle and CPU to avoid the slip up from last time."

"I'm ready, Lelouch!" The small Histoire said.

Lelouch walked over to her, though he too was a little skeptical that the little oracle could handle the pressure. "Are you sure that you can manage converting my energy?" He asked in concern, knowing that it could very well be too much for the poor girl.

"The fate of both of our worlds depend on our success, so I'll do my best." Histoire nodded, resolve sparking in her eyes.

"Alright then." Lelouch acknowledged her will to see this through and placed his hand on her shoulder, letting his energy flow into her, as dark light began to emanate from his hand.

"Uggh…!" Histoire groaned out, as she struggled to keep the sheer quantity of power in check and focus it towards opening the portal.

A pillar of light began to unstably form in front of them, but the energy couldn't seem to come together and open the gate.

"Ghh!" The small oracle groaned in pain, as she continued to struggle. "It's no use. I can't do it. The flow of dark energy is just too much!"

Seeing that things weren't going as planned, the girls started to panic, not knowing with what they could help and if they really could do anything for that matter.

However, in a moment of rare genius, Suzaku came up with an idea, surprisingly. "What if I could help?" He suggested, gaining a surprised look from Lelouch, as he approached Histoire and placed his hand on the oracle's other shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch asked him.

Suzaku's hand began to shine with a bright light, as he let his own energy flow into Histoire. "By adding my own power into the mix, it should help balance out the flow of dark and light energy…" He said, as he concentrated. "I think."

Hearing this, Lelouch was about to blow his casket. "Are you an idiot?!" He yelled out. "The energy overflow could make her explode!" He yelled and made to remove his hand from Histoire, but the oracle stopped him.

"No, Lelouch, wait!" She said, as Suzaku's theory actually turned out to be right, allowing her to properly establish the dimensional gate. "It's working!" She exclaimed, as the portal, seemingly three times the size of the one from back when Lelouch and Hyper Histoire had attempted to bring back Neptune, finally opened and a pillar of light erupted into the sky.

"Whoa!" Suzaku exclaimed, surprised by the sheer size of the portal, as he and Lelouch ceased their energy output.

"Holy molly!" Neptune exclaimed. "It's big enough to fit half of the entire Basilicom through it!"

"Finally, we can get back home." Lelouch said, pleased with the development.

However, there was one person, who didn't want to say her friends go, as she started to tear up. "But… but…" Plutia sobbed until she started to cry for real. "I don't want you to leave…! Neppy…" She went over and hugged Neptune.

"Aww, c'mon, Plutie." Neptune giggled.

"I am sorry, but we don't have the time for a tear-jerking farewell." Lelouch told the girls, as he wanted to avoid wasting precious time, which they currently didn't have a lot of.

"Yeah, it's cool." Neptune shrugged. "You understand, right, Plutie?"

"Uh-huuuh." Plutia nodded with a sad expression. "But I still don't want you to go…"

"Neptuna stay!" Peashy complained.

"Um, the portal's big enough for all of us to go through it." Noire commented, starting to get annoyed by their incompetence. "You do understand that, right?"

"Oooh…" Plutia's eyes started to shine happily. "Noire, you're so smart…!"

"Thanks, I guess?" The black haired girl accepted the praise, though she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by her friend.

Histoire had gone to expect the portal and had reached a surprising conclusion about it. "Not only could all of you pass through it, but this path may allow you to travel between the dimensions as you please." She informed the others.

"Seriously?!" Suzaku exclaimed, surprised.

"Neptuna won't go away!" Peashy declared triumphantly.

"Darn tootin', children of Nep! Even if I go into the light, I can always un-go whenever I want." Neptune declared with a triumphant smile.

"Well, I cannot guarantee for how long, but…" Histoire muttered.

"Ok, then I want to go, too!" Peashy proclaimed cheerfully.

"Yes, let's go together." Nepgear said happily.

"I hope we haven't made some great taboo." Histoire worried, gazing at the giant portal.

"Too late to worry about that." Blanc told her.

Lelouch, who was standing off to the side with his arms crossed and tapping his foot on the ground, was starting to get impatient. "Can we go now?" He asked, wondering when would they finish their moment.

"Wait a moment!" Suzaku exclaimed, having remembered a crucial detail. "If all of us go over there, then who'll be left to watch over the situation here?"

"That is logical…" Blanc said, thinking on the matter.

"But whoever stays behind won't get to be in the spotlight for the final fight…" Vert complained.

"Ummmm…" Plutia thought about it for a second and then turned to Nepgear with an apologetic smile. "I feel bad about it, but… um… Neppy Jr…"

"Wh-what?!" Nepgear exclaimed, shocked by the thought of being left behind again. "No way! I'm one of the people who have the highest priority here!"

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Came Rei's voice, as she ran over to everyone, panting for breath.

"Right on time." Lelouch said, glad that everything was going according to plan. Behind Rei, approached other members of the Seven Sages, namely Copy-paste, Warechu and Abnes. "You brought them over just on time."

"This is the part in which we need to use our power of friendship to overcome adversity!" Copy-Paste roared cheerfully.

"Oh, great." Blanc grumbled. "The loudmouth is here.

"Copy-Paste!" Nepgear recognized the giant robot.

"Hey there! I've come to help out my dear friends in their time of need!" The robot declared proudly, as he then cheerfully spoke to Rei. "But to think that you would try to crush the whole world, Rei! You are a far tougher woman than I thought!" He laughed.

"N-no, I'm nothing special, but thank you…" Rei muttered, blushing from being praised.

"Wait, wait!" Noire complained. "Why are they all here?"

Then, surprisingly and without her control, Histoire connected to a call with a familiar hacker.

"Hiii, sweethearts!" Annonydeath's voice could be heard over the call. "Sorry for interrupting."

"Ugh! The creeper!" Noire exclaimed.

"Whoa! You hacked Histy?!" Neptune was shocked by the strangely sex oriented hacker.

"I'll get out of here soon enough, so don't worry. I'm here to offer my services thanks to the smarty pants in your group, who came up with this brilliant idea." Annonydeath said, making Lelouch's eyebrows to twitch in irritation. "Nobody can gather information anywhere near as well as me."

"What's your scheme this time?" Noire said, not trusting the creep.

"Scheme? I'm just doing a favor for an old-time friend, who came rushing over to me to beg me for my help, darling." The hacker explained.

Not wanting to deal with a prolonged explanation, Lelouch decided to summarize what was going on. "For those of you, who have yet to catch on to what's happening, I told Rei to gather her friends and ask them to help with managing the situation here." He explained, starting to get really impatient. "There, now are you going or am I the only here who doesn't want to see his world destroyed?"

"Wow, this guy's a real stick in the butt." Warechu muttered.

"Right?" Neptune agreed, but then both her and Warechu shut their traps when they felt the dark haired CPU's intense glare.

Suzaku couldn't help but smile at the funny and yet disappointing situation and seeing how Lelouch ceased to pay anyone attention and headed for the portal, the brown haired CPU decided to follow suite. "Well, we could always chat later, no?" He said, turning to Rei and giving her an affirmative nod, after which he dashed off after Lelouch, who entered the portal.

"Ah! Those two are leaving without us!" Neptune exclaimed, not liking how it felt to be left behind. "Wait for me!" She yelled, as she ran after them and into the portal.

And like that all of the CPUs entered through the portal, not wanting to be left behind, leaving Rei and the former members of the Seven Sages along with Histoire and IF and Compa.

"They're gone." Rei muttered, after which she smiled. "Good luck, everyone."

On the other side of the portal, Lelouch and Suzaku had successfully passed through and found themselves in Virtua Forest outside of Planeptune. The sky was the same dreary dark shade is was in Ultra dimension, which informed them that the situation wasn't positive.

"Did we make it?" Suzaku asked, looking around, thinking that they were in the same place.

"Yes, we're here." Lelouch nodded, but then started to hear a distant scream, no, screams, as he and Suzaku looked up. "Huh?"

"Look out!" The girls yelled out, as they fell at terminal velocity.

"Wha?!" Neither of the male CPUs had the time to react accordingly and became the landing cushions for all of the falling girls, stomping them into a ground with a loud thump from the fall, even cracking the ground around.

"Is everyone alright?" Neptune asked, as the others rubbed off the soreness from the fall.

"Gft uff uf mf!" An incomprehensible muttering could be heard.

"Do you hear something?" Vert asked, after which Lelouch finally managed to stand up, sending the Neptune, Nepgear and Vert on top of him falling over.

"I said get off me!" He yelled out, furious, as he took the time to dust his clothes off and fix his appearance.

Noire and Blanc were helping Plutia and Peashy to get off from Suzaku, so the poor soul could actually stand up.

"Uugh…" He groaned, as he rubbed his head. "It felt like I was hit by a thirty-ton truck at the speed of sound." His comment made Noire and Blanc blush, as each delivered a punch to the face to the brown haired boy, who didn't understand with what he had deserved it.

"Jerk!" Noire huffed, feeling insulted.

Neptune stretched her arms in the air, feeling fantastic. "Aah, this is definitely my old stomping ground. I'm getting all nostalgic…!" She exclaimed happily.

"Yay! Neptuna's world!" Peashy cheered.

"This is pretty close to our Basilicom, isn't it?" Nepgear asked Lelouch.

"Yes, let's go!" Lelouch said and everyone took off running at full speed towards the Basilicom.

* * *

 **Whew, goddamn this arc is taking forever to finish. I had originally planed this chapter to be a little longer, but it's fine to cut it off where I did. Neptune, why can't your series have a serious atmosphere? I'm busting my ass off to try and make the story interesting, but your character doesn't allow for much else but poorly written humor! Well, that's maybe my fault. I guess the only note worthy thing that happened in this chapter was that Suzaku and Rei made up... Yeah, I got nothing. Quality entertainment guys, quality entertainment. *Sigh* Anyway, we're going to see this joking atmosphere discarded pretty brutally when everyone receives a reality call at the culmination of this arc. I'm seriously thinking over killing off quite a few characters, just to get back at all the nonsense I've had to write up till now XD. I'm just joking of course. Anyway, I apologize for the late and seemingly low quality update, but still thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day!**

 **P.S. Tomorrow's my English certificate exam, so wish me luck that I don't mess it up, guys :D.**


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